French Memorial Site. It commemorates the deadliest accident in motorsport history, which took place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race on June 11, 1955. The protagonists were Pierre Levegh representing Mercedes, Mike Hawthorn driving for Jaguar, and Lance Macklin of the Austin-Healey team. During trials the veteran Levegh had expressed concern over the outdated Le Mans track, which had been built in the 1920s for slower vehicles. He was overheard saying, "We need a signal system here. Our cars go too fast". His complaints went unheeded. The catastrophe occurred three hours into the race, when Hawthorn overtook Macklin and then breaked suddenly for a pit stop. Macklin swerved to avoid hitting him and was clipped from behind by Levegh, who was doing about 150 mph and had no time to take evasive action. With the sloping rear of Macklin's Austin-Healey as a launching pad, the Mercedes went airborne, somersaulted into a dirt retaining wall and exploded, hurling the engine block and other flaming debris into the crowded stands. Levegh's body was thrown 250 feet from the impact. Macklin also crashed but escaped unharmed. Le Mans organizers were criticized for allowing the race (which Hawthorn won) to continue, but they claimed this was done to prevent mass panic and to keep roads to the venue clear for ambulances. The casualties among the spectators were never definitively recorded. At least 70 were killed at the scene, with between 10 and 19 more dying later in area hospitals; over 120 were injured. As horrific as this incident was it could have been even worse. Right before the collision, driver Juan Manuel Fangio saw Levegh raise his hand, either as a danger signal or a reflex action, and narrowly avoided the smash-up; he later credited Levegh with saving his life and possibly those of more onlookers. An official investigation ruled that none of the drivers involved were at fault (though the finger-pointing still continues), and that the high death toll resulted from inadequate safety measures. Only the chest-high retaining wall and a wooden fence separated the spectators from the track and many were standing on their chairs for a better view, leaving them further exposed to danger. In the wake of the accident race tracks around the world underwent major safety upgrades. Mercedes withdrew from auto racing until the 1980s, and the sport was banned in Switzerland for 52 years. The Le Mans grandstand and pit areas were rebuilt in 1956 and a memorial plaque was dedicated near the crash site. The plaque is sometimes covered during competition, allegedly at the insistence of superstitious drivers.