A Dutch race car driver slammed on his brakes and leaped from his car in the middle of a race to save his British competitor from a burning wreck.
A terrifying crash at the China GT Championship in Shanghai on September 5 garnered international attention — both for the heroic rescue that followed and for serious questions about the organizers’ emergency response. Britain’s Ollie Millroy’s Ferrari was struck during a multi-car crash and burst into flames. The Netherlands’ Loek Hartog came to a screeching halt, rushed to the Ferrari, doused the flames with a fire extinguisher, and pulled Millroy out of the burning vehicle.
Ollie Millroy delivers an emotional message to thank Loek Hartog for saving his life yesterday in Shanghai, China.
“I am still alive tonight, entirely thanks to one man; Loek Hartog stopped instantly with no flag marshalls or fire crews in sight, and risked his own life to get… pic.twitter.com/tWACBXQcXO
— MV33Racing🏎 (@MV33Racing) September 6, 2026
Below you can watch a video compilation of clips from the official feed and from what seems to be Hartog’s onboard camera. Hartog not only sacrificed his spot in the race, but he had enough presence of mind both to save Millroy and to put out the fire with an extinguisher.
The BBC noted that Millroy’s team, AAI Motorsport, was so outraged that only a fellow driver initially sprang into action to help while the official emergency response was delayed that it said it would no longer participate in any China GT races, saying the organizers were lacking in basic safety standards.
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Millroy himself said he is sure he would have died had it not been for Hartog’s heroism. “I am still alive tonight, entirely thanks to one man,” Millroy declared on Instagram. “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.”
The seriously injured driver went on, “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.”
Millroy ended, “I’m laying here tonight with 5 broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken hand and finger and a bruised lung, but it could have been much worse. Thank you Loek. I owe you my life for your selfless act today.”
Hartog acknowledged the tribute: “I am so thankful to have been right at the place I needed to be in space and time.”
The BBC quoted Hartog’s separate statement as well. “When I saw a car turning into a huge fireball far ahead, there wasn’t really a decision to make,” Hartog reflected. “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.”
He humbly disclaimed extraordinary bravery, however. “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.”
This story struck me especially because yesterday, I went to the movie theater to see the re-released Disney-Pixar classic Cars. I love the movie except for the ending, where Lightning McQueen stops a couple of feet from the finish line before turning back to help his smashed-up competitor, instead of crossing the finish line and immediately looping back to help The King. But after hearing the story from the Shanghai racetrack, it seemed as if I were watching that fictional movie ending play out in real life. And in real life, it is a wonderful story.
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