Video & Photos: Fans killed when scaffold collapses at 1960 Indy 500

Motorsport is dangerous. It says so on the back of your ticket stub. Of course no ever thinks they will get hurt watching a motor race, but sadly that was the case at Daytona on the weekend when more than 20 fans were hurt. It was an unfortunate reminder that motorsports history is littered with examples of fans being hurt or killed. The most tragic being the 1955 Le Mans disaster.

Another terrible event occurred at the 1960 Indy 500.

Indianapolis News photographer, J. Parke Randall, captured this terrifying scene. A privately owned makeshift scaffold collapsed on the warm up lap, killing two people and injuring 70.

The scaffold was holding around 125 people, who had paid $5 to $10 for vantage spots of the great race.  As the start approached spectators jostled for position causing the wood and metal tower to fall to the ground.

All private scaffolding was subsequently banned from the Speedway.