The infamous crash at the 1977 South African Grand Prix killed F1 driver Tom Pryce and safety marshal Jansen Van Vuuren.
Pryce set the fastest time during wet practice sessions before the race but dropped to fifteenth place during qualifying. On the other hand, Pryce had a poor start to the official race and finished 22nd.
However, Tom quickly recovered some ground, climbing to 16th place by the end of lap six.
The tragic incident occurred around lap 22 when Renzo Zorzi, Pryce’s teammate, pulled off to the left side of the main straight.
Because of the fire, two safety marshals crossed over to help Zorzi while carrying fire extinguishers. Jansen Van Vuuren was one of the marshals.
During this time, Pryce and another driver, Hans-Joachim Stuck, raced towards Renzo and the marshals.
Because Zorzi had parked his car right at the crest of the hill, oncoming drivers couldn’t see the marshals.
Following the tragic and shocking accident, the FIA introduced multiple safety measures, including the mandatory use of fireproof suits and helmets.
Tom was just 27 years old at the time of his death, while van Vuuren was just 19 years old.
