June
11, 1950
Driver burns while photographer takes pictures
NASCAR racer John Edward "Skimp" Hersey, 37, was
fatally injured when he lost control of his car during a race at Atlanta's Lakewood
Speedway. At the time, it was common for racers to keep a can of extra
gasoline in their vehicles in case they ran out far from the pit, and Hersey's
car was engulfed in flames. A photographer from the Atlanta Constitution
newspaper was the first to reach the scene, and as he took pictures of the
burning car, Hersey crawled out of the wreckage on fire. The newsman kept
taking photos without making any effort to assist Hersey, and by the time
another person was able to douse the flames, the burns were fatal. The
remainder of the race was cancelled, and Jack Smith, who had been leading at the
time of the accident, was declared the winner. The next day, Hersey died, while
the photos of his crash ran on the front page of the Constitution.
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