Terrifying moment Lewis Hamilton’s old supercar crashes in a tunnel
This is the terrifying moment when an £8.5 million supercar made for Lewis Hamilton crashes into a tunnel.
The unique Pagani Zonda 760 LH – which stands for Lewis Hamilton – was sold for the huge amount last year by the Formula 1 star.
The new owner lost control and crashed near the Penmaenbach tunnel on the A55 motorway in Conwy in North Wales on Tuesday.
Dashcam footage of the moment of the crash was captured by a motorist who had just overtaken the purple supercar.
Lewis Hamilton’s old £8.5 million supercar, made exclusively for him and capable of speeds of up to 350km/h, has crashed into a tunnel – eight years after also wrecking it after a week of partying in Monaco
Lewis Hamilton’s former £8.5 million Pagani Zonda LH supercar is badly damaged after crashing in Conwy, North Wales
The car was sold by the 38-year-old Formula 1 driver last year for 8.5 million pounds
The retired driving instructor told MailOnline: ‘The crash was so dramatic. It hit one wall and spun 360 degrees before bouncing off the other. There was a huge bond and sparks everywhere. I was afraid the car would explode.’
The witness from Altrincham said: ‘My wife and I were on our way to a caravan to start our holiday and were driving on the dual carriageway.
“The speed limit there is 70 mph and I was just under it when the purple car overtook me. It made a really loud thumping sound as it overtook.
“There was light rain and the surface may have been slippery.
“I watched as the car entered the tunnel and then suddenly it seemed to lose control of the wheel. It hit one wall, slammed into another, crashing into it before finally coming to a stop.
“It was a spectacular crash and quite terrifying. My wife was pretty shaken and I was worried the car was going to explode so I pulled over and waited to make sure he was okay.
“A young man in his twenties got out of the car and he seemed perfectly fine. He was only concerned about the damage to the car. Once we knew it was OK, we moved on and it was only later that I found out it was a famous car.’
Ethan Gale, a supercar photographer, posted photos of the damage on Instagram, writing:
“Very sad day in the automotive world tonight. A car I never thought I’d see.
“Ever since I saw this on YouTube when I used to drive around Monaco it has always been a dream car to tick off the list.
The Pagani Zonda 760 LH – which stands for Lewis Hamilton – was sold by the Formula 1 star last year, netting him a massive £7m profit after buying the flashy purple vehicle for £1.6m
The 38-year-old’s former vehicle now has a smashed windscreen and damage to the right-hand lights following the crash at the Penmaenbach tunnel on the A55 motorway in Conwy, North Wales.
‘This Pagani Zonda 760 LH, previously owned by Lewis Hamilton, had crashed in the Penmaenbach Tunnel, Conwy, North Wales.
“Hopefully the car will get a full restoration and be back on the road in the future.”
The photographer added that the owner of the vehicle is “unharmed and shaken up.”
“What exactly happened remains a mystery,” he said. ‘But rumours; it accelerated in the tunnel and lost control to the rear, hit the wall and spun it around.
“But the most important thing is that the owner is doing well. Cars can be repaired, human lives cannot.’
The Italian car was ordered by the driver from Horacio Pagani seven years ago.
The Zonda 760 LH reaches a speed of 350 km/h and accelerates from 0-100 km/h in an eye-watering 2.6 seconds. It was one of the Zonda models with a manual transmission.
Ethan Gale, a supercar photographer, posted photos of the damage to Instagram, writing, “Very sad day in the automotive world tonight. A car I never thought I’d see’
When he first bought the car, Hamilton showed his pride by posing next to the AMG-powered Zonda for a scenic view.
Hamilton himself once crashed with it – after a week of partying in Monaco. In 2015, just under a year since he first bought the car, Hamilton hit three stationary vehicles with the whip in Monaco.
The crash came after the driver celebrated non-stop for a week since winning the world championship.
He said, “It was the result of heavy partying and not much rest for a week and a half.
‘I’m a bit exhausted. I’ve been working out non-stop trying to work out and not get much sleep at the same time.
“I’ve been sleeping pretty much all day for the past two days. I couldn’t believe how much I slept. I slept here during the flight. I usually sleep four or five hours, but when you train you need more.’