Vivian Lewis Fatal Crash @ Brighton 1963 (Aftermath)
- 9 months ago
Forty-year old Vivian Lewis of Cookham Dean, Berkshire, England, was killed during the 28th edition of the Brighton Speed Trial, held on 14 September 1963, when her 3.4-litre Tojeiro-Jaguar hit a curb and went out of control at a speed of more than 100 mi/h (160 km/h).
Spectators on Brighton promenade saw the car spin into metal railings, then it went crabwise across the road, mounted the pavement diagonally, somersaulted and burst into flames after hitting a children's roundabout. The front suspension was separated from the rest of the car by the violent impact.
Two timing marshals, John Craig and Peter Saunders, both narrowly escaped being hit by parts of the wreckage which landed nearly their desk and damaged part of their timing equipment.
Vivian Charlotte Hordern married in 1952 David Lewis, a commercial artist. He was due to race his Jaguar D-type at Braighton, shortly after his wife. The couple had no children.
The inquest carried out after the accident pointed the cause of the crash on metal fatigue in the main chassis of the car which was built in 1956. A jury returned a verdict of "accidental death" on Mrs. Lewis, who died from burns and cerebral contusion. A pathologist, Dr. Imre Haydu, said she was unconscious when the car caught fire. Different accounts showed her age of death to be 35 instead of 40.
Brighton Speed Trials is the oldest competition in the British motor sport calendar. It was in 1905 when Brighton Motor Week took place, when the Madeira Drive was resurfaced with the newly invented tarmac. In 1923 the Brighton and Hove Motor Cycle and Light Car Club scheduled an annual series of races with riders and drivers competing against each other, in the road along the sea front. The length of the course used has varied over the years, from a half mile stretch used in the 20s, then extended by 200 yards to bring it up to the half kilometre. From 1980 the half mile was again in use, then changed in the quarter mile that is still in use.
R.I.P
Spectators on Brighton promenade saw the car spin into metal railings, then it went crabwise across the road, mounted the pavement diagonally, somersaulted and burst into flames after hitting a children's roundabout. The front suspension was separated from the rest of the car by the violent impact.
Two timing marshals, John Craig and Peter Saunders, both narrowly escaped being hit by parts of the wreckage which landed nearly their desk and damaged part of their timing equipment.
Vivian Charlotte Hordern married in 1952 David Lewis, a commercial artist. He was due to race his Jaguar D-type at Braighton, shortly after his wife. The couple had no children.
The inquest carried out after the accident pointed the cause of the crash on metal fatigue in the main chassis of the car which was built in 1956. A jury returned a verdict of "accidental death" on Mrs. Lewis, who died from burns and cerebral contusion. A pathologist, Dr. Imre Haydu, said she was unconscious when the car caught fire. Different accounts showed her age of death to be 35 instead of 40.
Brighton Speed Trials is the oldest competition in the British motor sport calendar. It was in 1905 when Brighton Motor Week took place, when the Madeira Drive was resurfaced with the newly invented tarmac. In 1923 the Brighton and Hove Motor Cycle and Light Car Club scheduled an annual series of races with riders and drivers competing against each other, in the road along the sea front. The length of the course used has varied over the years, from a half mile stretch used in the 20s, then extended by 200 yards to bring it up to the half kilometre. From 1980 the half mile was again in use, then changed in the quarter mile that is still in use.
R.I.P