How Unlucky Do You Have To Be To Be Sir Stirling Moss

[Rik]

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/157510/1/s ... _fall.html

“As a result of a malfunction of the lift in their home, the lift doors opened on the third floor when the lift was waiting at the fourth floor. Sir Stirling stepped through the doors on the third floor and dropped three storeys down the lift shaft to the concrete base.

“He broke both ankles and four bones in his feet in the fall, as well as damage to some vertebrae. Amazingly, he did not suffer any internal injuries. He was initially admitted to London Hospital and then moved yesterday following the intervention of Professor Sid Watkins to Princess Grace Hospital, where he was operated upon.

[Percy Pig]

Pretty unlucky!

After all those years of driving F1 in the good old days, when safety was a thin helmet and a pair of leather gloves, he gets messed up falling down his own lift shaft!

[FLATULENTFRIEND]

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/157510/1/sir_stirling_moss_injured_following_three-storey_fall.html

“As a result of a malfunction of the lift in their home, the lift doors opened on the third floor when the lift was waiting at the fourth floor. Sir Stirling stepped through the doors on the third floor and dropped three storeys down the lift shaft to the concrete base.

“He broke both ankles and four bones in his feet in the fall, as well as damage to some vertebrae. Amazingly, he did not suffer any internal injuries. He was initially admitted to London Hospital and then moved yesterday following the intervention of Professor Sid Watkins to Princess Grace Hospital, where he was operated upon.

[wuffy]

Idiot much? How could not notice the elevator inside not actually being there?

[E Dogg Capizzle]

Idiot much? How could not notice the elevator inside not actually being there?

After a lifetime of habitually walking into lifts and finding them there, I'm guessing this would be an easy mistake to make.

[zephyrheaven]

I consider myself to be reasonably up with current events, but I thought he was dead already!?

Thanks Rik - for at least returning him to the living in my mind

[dented]

He was in NZ in January, at Hampton Downs for the Festival of Speed thing. His ankles were fine at the time I believe.

[fatwombat]

Actually, it sounds like he was pretty lucky - to be still breathing after that sort of fall is pretty good, and without internal injuries is very fortunate. At his age any internal injury could have had a lingering effect on the rest of his life.

But I do sort of agree with Wuffy's unsympathetic comment as well. Look before you leap and all that (yawn)

[Colin]

Home lift is likely to be v small, and there gloomy.

Time of day (or night) possibly not turning on lights... could easily happen.

Heaps of people on this site have had to take extended time off the bike following injury. Luck / idiot ever a factor there?

[happybaboon]

He's led a charmed life... This is a bit of a nasty accident to have, but I'd probably jump down a lift shaft when I'm an old man in exchange for getting to do half the shit what he done on racetracks (and live)

Hope he's aaaaight though

[fatwombat]

Heaps of people on this site have had to take extended time off the bike following injury. Luck / idiot ever a factor there?

Is this a trick question? How often is luck/idiot ever NOT a contributing factor of crashes and injuries? All it takes is a moment of inattention or distraction when you're doing something that seems so routine you've forgotten the associated risks - I'm guilty as charged.

[musket]

Like my girl's Dad says, "there's dickheads everywhere".

[istepinyards]

There is no such thing as luck. That is all

[pedalingkiwi]

He was in NZ in January, at Hampton Downs for the Festival of Speed thing. His ankles were fine at the time I believe.

I was at Hampton Downs and didn't hear any mention of him being there - but then again I have been wrong sometimes

I too asked myself how the hell could one walk into a lift that wasn't there ?? I hadn't heard he'd gone blind. Automatic behaviour / force of habit / blind assumption might explain it.

Sir Stirling was actually very lucky to survive the dangerous days of motor racing - his career ended when he rather neatly folded his F1 Lotus in half with him inside it against an earth bank at Goodwood. Took them ages to cut him free of the tangle of chassis tubes, and he was in a coma for 6 months afterwards. Never raced seriously again, but remains an icon of the sport, regarded as right up there with the best.

[dented]

He was in NZ in January, at Hampton Downs for the Festival of Speed thing. His ankles were fine at the time I believe.

I was at Hampton Downs and didn't hear any mention of him being there - but then again I have been wrong sometimes

I wasnt there myself, but a friend of mine was racing there that weekend, and its what he told me. So, 2nd Hand info and all that, but I have no reason to think he made it up.