Stirling Moss hurt in lift fall

08th March 2010

Stirling Moss has sustained significant injuries after falling down a lift shaft at his London home. According to his website, he broke both ankles, four bones in his feet, and chipped four vertebrae in the accident. The 80-year-old is now comfortable and recovering in a London hospital.

Paramedics were called to Moss’s home on Saturday evening. He was taken to the Royal London Hospital where his condition was assessed. The following day, he was moved to a hospital closer to his home in Mayfair, assisted by former official F1 race doctor, Professor Sid Watkins. Here he underwent surgery on both ankles, which had to be plated and pinned.

Moss’s home features a number of cutting edge gadgets, including a custom-built carbon fibre lift which was made for him by the Williams F1 team. In a statement, it was revealed that the accident occurred because the door to the lift opened in error. He stepped into the open lift shaft in the expectation that the lift would be there.

Lady Moss, Stirling’s wife, stated “this was a very unfortunate accident; it could have just as easily been another member of the family stepping into where the lift should have been”.

Sir Stirling is widely regarded as the best driver never to win the Formula 1 world championship. After retiring from professional racing in 1962, Moss has continued to drive in historic meetings. It is expected that it will take up to 6 weeks for him to recover from his injuries. However, it is not known if Moss will be able to compete again as a result of his fall.

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