Ollie Millroy says he owes his life to Loek Hartog after a frightening crash in the first race of the China GT in Shanghai left his Ferrari in flames and the race abandoned.
The incident came 20 minutes into the race on Saturday, when Millroy’s car was hit heavily from the side and burst into flames. Hartog stopped his car, went back to the wreck and helped pull Millroy clear before fire crews were in sight.
Millroy later said: “I owe my life to you.” He added that Hartog “stopped instantly with no flag marshals or fire crews in sight, and risked his own life to get me out of the car.”
Hartog’s split-second decision
Hartog said there was no real choice when he saw the fireball ahead of him. “When I saw a car turning into a huge fireball far ahead, there wasn’t really a decision to make,” he said. “From what I had seen, I genuinely believed the driver might not be able to get out by himself.”
He described the rescue as terrifying, but insisted he had only done what many others would have done in the same position. “There was never a moment of doubt,” he said. “I stopped, got out, and went towards the car.”
Millroy’s injuries and the wider concern
Millroy was taken to hospital after the crash and later revealed the extent of his injuries. He said: “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. Thank you Loek.”
He also said he does not remember anything between 30 seconds before the crash and 1 hour after it, but that he will remember Hartog’s “incredible act of bravery” for the rest of his life. Millroy added: “One day I will tell our three kids this story and Loek will be the biggest superhero in history in their eyes too.”
The crash raised serious questions about the response on the scene. Millroy’s team said the organisers did not verify the situation during the live broadcast, while FIST Auto said it was “particularly distressing” that the organisers had hastily said the drivers left the cars on their own.
The organisers later admitted shortcomings and said they would review competition organisation, support, emergency response, rescue and medical services. FIST Auto also said it will not participate in future China GT races until it has discussed safety concerns with the organisers.
For Millroy, though, the central point is clear: without Hartog’s intervention, the story could have ended very differently. The result was a rescue, not just a crash, and one that he says he will never forget.
