- Title: FRANCE: DRIVER FATALLY BURNED IN GRAND PRIX BLAZE
- Date: 8th July 1968
- Summary: 1. GV CROWD 0.03 2. GV BURNING CAR AT SIDE OF ROAD (2 SHOTS) 0.13 3. SV FIREMEN SPRAYING CAR WITH HOSE 0.14 4. SV FIREMEN AROUND BURNING CAR, OTHER COMPETITORS GO PAST 0.32 5. SV CARS PAST CAMERA 0.35 6. SV FIRE BEING BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL (3 SHOTS) 0.43 7. SV FIRE PAN TO OTHER CARS PAST 0.50 8. SV FIRE NEARLY EXTINGUISHED, BODY OF DRIVER VISIBLE 0.53 9. SV OTHER CARS PAST CAMERA 0.59 10. SV FIREMEN SPRAY BODY (2 SHOTS) 1.09 11. SV FIREMEN 1.12 12. SV FIREMEN COVER BODY WITH WHITE SHEET 1.22 Initials ??/VS/??/??? SPORT: GRAND PRIX NOT TO BE SOLD TO ANY NEWSREEL Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd July 1968 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ROUEN, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVAEJYL9KFF0JXXLEOXRM21E26PB
- Story Text: TRAGEDY TO ROUEN IN THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX. WITHIN MINUTES OF THE RACE STARTING AROUND THE WOODED CIRCUIT, JO SCHLESSER, A 40-YEAR-OLD FRENCH DRIVER, DIED FROM BURNS WHEN HIS CAR CRASHED AT 130 MPH (208 KMS) ON A DOWN-HILL BEND.
SCHLESSER WAS DRIVING THE NEW THREE-LITRE, EIGHT CYLINDER HONDA, AN AIR COOLED CAR MAKING ITS FIRST APPEARANCE IN A RACE. AND FOR THE DRIVER IT WAS ONLY HIS THIRD FORMULA ONE DRIVE. FIVE SPECTATORS WERE ALSO SLIGHTLY BURNED AS THE FLAMES LEAPT 15 FEET (5 METRES) TO AN ENCLOSURE.
SCHLESSER IS THE 13TH DRIVER TO DIE IN A MOTOR RACING ACCIDENT THIS YEAR.
SCHLESSER WAS TRAPPED IN THE CAR WHILE FIRE FIGHTERS TRIED TO EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. HE WAS PULLED ALIVE FROM THE BLAZING WRECK BUT DIED SOON AFTERWARDS.
THE RACE WAS WON BY JACKIE ICKX (REPEAT ICKX) OF BELGIUM IN AN ITALIAN V-12 FERRARI. IT WAS HIS FIRST GRAND PRIX WIN. JOHN SURTEES OF BRITAIN IN A HONDA WAS 2ND AND JACKIE STEWART OF BRITAIN IN A MATRA FORD V-08 THIRD.
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