Shutterstock
German driver Chris Mies hit a kangaroo during Sunday’s Bathurst 12 Hour race in Australia — and the impact was absolutely devastating.
The endurance race started at 5:45 a.m. local time. Officials had to stop it less than 30 minutes in after Mies’ car slammed into the animal at high speed, destroying both the vehicle and killing the kangaroo.
“We were all in line and basically within a thousandths of a second, a millisecond, the kangaroo showed up on the left, obviously at a very high speed,” Mies told Speedcafe.
The collision happened so fast Mies couldn’t react.
“So the moment I saw it was the impact. It was very unfortunate and it was quite a big one, but honestly, I’m glad that we have such a safe race car, it could have been much worse.”
Chris Mies Describes Brutal Scene After Crash Into Kangaroo
While it could have been worse, Mies did recount a pretty nasty scene. This is the part where animal lovers probably want to turn away.
“If I can just imagine the whole kangaroo would have come inside. I mean, half of it was inside, so I’m glad I’m standing here now.”
Mies said he ended up vomiting because of how gruesome the crash was.
“The issue was, I couldn’t see anything anymore; the windshield was fully smashed. Obviously, I was covered in blood and whatever is inside a kangaroo,” he said. “My eyes were full of blood and, how you call it, the guts from the kangaroo, so I had to clean them first because I had no idea where I was.”
Safety workers immediately escorted him to the track’s medical center, where he was able to shower. He then went back to his hotel, where he took a second shower before returning to the track.
The incident marks the second time in three weeks that a kangaroo has interrupted a major Australian sporting event. In last month’s Santos Tour Down Under cycling race, a crossing kangaroo caused a crash that nearly ended the hopes of race leader and eventual winner Jay Vine.
