Normandy Beach Race: What we know about the crash so far

It was the fifth edition of the Normandy Beach Race this weekend, in Ouistreham, an event which showcases and races (in a non-competitive environment) vintage American and European cars and motorbikes from pre-1947. It does this in the charming and historically significant setting of Normandy's Sword Beach in the town of Ouistreham.

A dramatic accident

Around 15,000 people had to be evacuated from the beach yesterday (Sunday, 21st September) after a crash which occurred between 10:45 and 11 am. One of the vehicles, a 1930s Ford Model A convertible, is said to have slid on wet sand during one of the organised drag races and flipped over, repeatedly rolling before coming to a stop.

The vehicle's driver miraculously escaped the crash, unharmed, though understandably shaken by the event. The passenger, one of the Normandy Beach Race's founding members, was not so lucky, however. Despite rapid intervention by emergency services, Marc Félix died at the scene.

A psychological support system has been set up

The sudden evacuation caused congestion in Ouistreham and its surroundings as people were asked to leave the scene by the gendarmerie (local branch of law enforcement). A medical-psychological emergency unit was set up at the Grange aux Dîmes (in Ouistreham's town centre) to care for the people who witnessed the crash, as well as those close to the victim.

An investigation into the exact circumstances of the crash has been opened.