'Owe my life to you': Driver stops to pull rival out of flaming Ferrari
A young Dutch racer is being hailed as a "superhero" after stopping on a racetrack to help pull a fellow competitor out of his flaming car.
Dutch racing driver Loek Hartog has been hailed as a hero after stopping on the track and helping fellow racer Ollie Millroy out of a flaming Ferrari in China. The incident occurred during the China GT Championship in Shanghai, where Millroy's car crashed into multiple other vehicles, catching fire and endangering all the drivers.
There were no safety marshals around to assist during the incident. Hartog, who is 23 years old, immediately ran over to the burning car, attempting to free Millroy from the driver's side door. When he couldn't free Millroy, Hartog grabbed a fire extinguisher and doused the flames, allowing him to then pull his rival out of the other side of the car.
Millroy expressed his gratitude to Hartog on social media, stating "I owe my life to you". He suffered severe injuries, breaking five ribs, his collarbone, hand, and finger, and sustaining a bruised lung due to the crash. Millroy said he doesn't remember much from 30 seconds before the crash to an hour after it, but will always remember Hartog's heroic act of bravery.
Hartog also expressed his feelings on social media, wishing that more people would act instinctively in such situations instead of considering it bravery. The China GT Championship organizers have announced that they will review and improve safety protocols, emergency response, rescue, and medical services in light of this incident.
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