The wife of the British racing driver whose Ferrari burst into flames says she cannot believe he is not dead – and credits his rival who rushed to his rescue for keeping him alive.
Ollie Millroy, 36, had been racing in a China GT event at Shanghai International Circuit when two cars smashed into his Ferrari while navigating a bend.
In video footage of the incident, Millroy’s vehicle is seen spiralling off the track while aggressive flames and huge plumes of smoke billow above it.
Rival Dutch driver Loek Hartog is then seen pulling up beside the wreckage before hurriedly unbuckling his seat belt and jumping out – sacrificing his chances of winning in the process.
Millroy’s wife Fern is at his hospital bedside in Shanghai and this morning gave an update on the father-of-three’s condition while crediting Hartog with saving his life.
‘Surgery went well yesterday,’ Fern wrote. ‘It took several hours, main work being his right hand. He now has metal along the entirety of his clavicle right side, metal inside his right hand, six broken ribs supported with a compression wrap and on high flow oxygen whilst his lung recovers.
Ollie Millroy’s wife was amazed to see him alive after his fireball crash in Shanghai
The driver almost lost his life after a crash in the China GT sent his vehicle up in flames
Millroy was trapped and rescued from his burning car by Dutch driver Loek Hartog
‘Tried to come off the oxygen but his O2 level was just too low. He is in great care at this fantastic hospital in Shanghai and we can’t thank the staff here enough. More X Rays and CT tomorrow morning.
‘I still can’t believe he’s alive, purely down to our real life superhero Loek Hartog.’
Ollie and Fern married in October 2021 and have three young children.
Through a camera near the driver’s seat of Hartog’s car, the 23-year-old can be seen desperately rummaging through the Ferrari’s remains in a bid to free Millroy, who had become trapped in the fireball.
Hartog today wrote: ‘Overwhelmed by the support from everyone over the past two days. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of a racing community that looks after each other the way this one does.
‘Thank you for all the messages and support sent to Ollie, his wife and family, and also to me and my family. It really means a lot. I’m travelling back home now and honestly can’t wait to be there. I’m feeling good for now, but there have naturally been a lot of thoughts running through my head over the past few days.
Ollie and Fern have been married since October 2021 and have three children
Fern hailed Millroy’s rival Loek Hartog and credited him with saving her husband’s life
‘Most importantly, I want to make sure those thoughts and everything we’ve experienced are directed towards something constructive. In Ollie’s words: making sure that no two people ever have to go through the same thing again in the future.’
From hospital, Millroy thanked the Dutchman for ‘saving his life’.
He wrote: ‘I am still alive tonight, entirely thanks to one man. Loek Hartog stopped instantly with no flag marshals or fire crews in sight, and risked his own life to get me out of the car.
‘I don’t remember anything between 30 seconds before the crash and 1 hour after it, but I will remember his incredible act of bravery for the rest of my life.
‘One day I will tell our three kids this story and Loek will be the biggest superhero in history in their eyes too.
‘I’m laying here tonight with five broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken hand and finger and a bruised lung, but it could have been much worse.
Hartog has been hailed as a ‘superhero’ for his ‘selfless act’ in saving his rival
‘Thank you Loek. I owe you my life for your selfless act today.’
Hartog, meanwhile, posted on his own social media: ‘When I saw a car turning into a huge fireball far ahead, there wasn’t really a decision to make.
‘From what I had seen, I genuinely believed the driver might not be able to get out by himself. I stopped, got out and went towards the car. There was never a moment of doubt.
‘It was scary. There were moments where I didn’t know I would actually be able to get Ollie out. But this isn’t about what I did, and I’m sure many people in the same position would have reacted exactly the same way.’
