British driver Ollie Millroy has thanked rival driver Loek Hartog for saving his life after he was pulled from his burning car. The incident occurred during the China GT race on Saturday at the Shanghai International Circuit.
On the back straight, BMW's Neil Verhagen and Ferrari's David Chen collided, which caused Chen's car to slam into teammate Millroy's vehicle, which immediately caught fire. The dramatic scenes saw Porsche driver Hartog spring into action.
Hartog's Brave Rescue
With no marshals or medical crew on hand, he rushed over to the burning car and pulled Millroy to safety. He then grabbed a fire extinguisher and attempted to put out the flames.
Millroy is now recovering in hospital and took to social media to thank Hartog for his act of bravery. "I am still alive tonight, entirely thanks to one man. @loekhartog_ stopped instantly with no flag marshalls or fire crews in sight, and risked his own life to get me out of the car," he wrote, alongside a picture of his rival fighting the fire.
"I don't remember anything between 30 seconds before the crash and 1 hour after it, but I will remember his incredible act of bravery for the rest of my life. One day I will tell our three kids this story and Loek will be the biggest superhero in history in their eyes too.
"I'm laying here tonight with 5 broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken hand and finger and a bruised lung, but it could have been much worse.
Millroy's Gratitude and Recovery
"Thank you Loek. I owe you my life for your selfless act today.
"Thank you to everyone for your kind messages. I will try and get back you now that I have a few days in bed. I'm counting my lucky stars tonight, that's for sure.
"Fern is on the plane out here and I'm surround by my team, my Taiwanese and Chinese family Team AAI. I have a couple of operations tomorrow to put everything back where it should be, then a few weeks resting here before I can fly.
"Thank you to @ferrariraces for building a car capable of taking that impact and I'm sorry for our @aaimotorsports crew and my team mate @_yinyux that you have lost your rocket ship today.
"Rebuild, recover and then back on the horse."
Hartog gave a classy reply in the comments section. "You have nothing to thank me for," he wrote.
"I wish to live in a world where this would not be considered as bravery but as instinct of others too. I am so thankful to have been right at the place I needed to be in space and time. Speedy recovery and we will stay in close touch."
Wife's Update and Organisers' Response
Millroy's wife Fern has since given a further update on the driver's condition, posting on his Instagram page, she wrote: "Ollie remains in a stable condition in the intensive care unit in Shanghai, surrounded by the most incredible doctors and surgeons. We have been blown away by the messages of support and the love that's been sent our way and it's given us the energy to keep pushing through this traumatic time of our lives.
"Ollie has suffered 6 broken ribs, a broken clavicle, broken hand and a punctured lung. Following a successful 4 hour surgery yesterday, they have fitted plates and screws to the broken bones to ensure the best results in the recovery.
"Ollie had another surgical procedure today to install a drain line to his abdomen, in order to release the gas and fluid leaking from his lung, which has relieved a lot of pain and discomfort. The doctors are monitoring his cognitive state too, following a severe concussion which resulted in him blacking out for over an hour.
"The impact was so strong that it broke his helmet visor and snapped his HANS device.
"Despite the injuries and the challenges we are facing now, we can't help but feel lucky he's alive, and the overwhelming feeling that we all have is an enormous amount of gratitude and love towards @loekhartog_ who saved Ollie's life.
"Your messages of love and support have been hugely appreciated and we will keep you updated on Ollie's progress in hospital."
Hartog also released a statement on his Instagram story on Sunday, writing: "Overwhelmed by the support from everyone over the past two days. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of a racing community that looks after each other the way this one does.
"Thank you for all of the messages and support sent to Ollie, his wife and family, and also to me and my family. It really does mean a lot.
"I'm travelling back home now and honestly can't wait to be there. I'm feeling good for now, but there have naturally been a lot of thoughts running through my head over the past few days. Most importantly, I want to make sure those thoughts and everything we've experienced are directed towards something constructive.
"In Ollie's words: making sure that no two people ever have to go through the same thing again in the future."
It's reported that the ambulance crew took 15 minutes to reach the scene due to the driver being asleep. China GT released a statement on the incident.
"This was an accident that neither the organising committee nor anyone involved wanted to see," they said. "We deeply apologise for this incident and the subsequent shock and impact it has caused everyone.
"The organising committee extends its sympathies to driver Oliver Millroy of car No. 91 and the other drivers involved, and sincerely hopes for their speedy recovery.
"At the same time, we express our deep gratitude and respect to driver Loek Hartog, who was the first to arrive at the scene to provide assistance.
"Preliminary investigations indicate that the overall event setup complied with national-level competition standards, but there is room for improvement in terms of detailed management.
"Following the race, we will conduct a thorough review and investigation of this incident and develop more comprehensive plans to address any shortcomings in organisation, safety measures, emergency response, rescue operations, and medical care during the competition.
"The event organisers will use this incident as a lesson to further strengthen management in the aforementioned areas and ensure that all measures are fully implemented."
