Christophe Dieny & ? Plassan's Fatal Crash @ Volkhonskoe Road 1914 (Aftermath)
- 4 months ago
Shortly after crossing the finish-line of the race, French driver Christophe Dieny lost control of his Peugeot that crashed into three parked cars, killing him and his riding-mechanic (mechanician, in the terminology used at that time) Plassan upon impact. The date of accident and of death is 25 May 1914 - 11 May 1914 in the Julian calendar.
Given name of mechanic Plassan is still unknown. This was Dieny's first outing in Russia, at the end of the race he set a good time of 0min30,0 at an average speed of 128 km/h, that was not counted by the organizers, otherwise he would have taken 3rd place. Winner of the race was Willy Schoell from Germany, in a Benz 55/150 PS entered by Gustav List.
The "verstovoy" race was held on Volkhonskoe road near St.Petersburg, in one versta (= 1,0668-kilometer) stretch of the public road that was closed for the event. This kind of short-distance races became most popular in Russia in the first decades of the Twentieth Century, each racer running against time and not competing one against another simultaneously, but one started only after the previous driver had completed his run.
R.I.P
Given name of mechanic Plassan is still unknown. This was Dieny's first outing in Russia, at the end of the race he set a good time of 0min30,0 at an average speed of 128 km/h, that was not counted by the organizers, otherwise he would have taken 3rd place. Winner of the race was Willy Schoell from Germany, in a Benz 55/150 PS entered by Gustav List.
The "verstovoy" race was held on Volkhonskoe road near St.Petersburg, in one versta (= 1,0668-kilometer) stretch of the public road that was closed for the event. This kind of short-distance races became most popular in Russia in the first decades of the Twentieth Century, each racer running against time and not competing one against another simultaneously, but one started only after the previous driver had completed his run.
R.I.P