Exclusive interview with on of the four photographers injured in GC500 crash

Photographer James Baxter recounts the crash in which four photographers were hospitalised after a car hit the wall at 200km/h at the GC500.

The last shot before impact. Source: James Baxter @monarc_

What’s Happening

On Sunday evening, as crowds filtered out of this year’s GC500, we found ourselves in the media centre beside James Baxter, one of the four photographers injured in Saturday’s dramatic crash, bandaged up but in relatively good spirits.

Why It Matters

The incident unfolded when Supercars driver Brodie Kostecki’s vehicle lost control at high speed at a tricky part of the course from which the photographers were shooting, with all four sustaining injuries and being taken to the hospital for treatment.

A highly irregular occurrence at the event.

By The Numbers

• One two-hundredth of a second is the time between the photos in the series below, which shows the cars coming straight for the photographer's zone in the moments before impact

• Kostecki’s car struck the wall at an estimated speed of 200 kilometres an hour, according to accounts

• The impact registered 19 Gs of force inside the vehicle, based on event data, according to Mr Baxter

• Four photographers were struck by debris when the wall and fence shifted backward from the crash impact

• The collision displaced several four-tonne barricades, sending them toward the photo area

• Baxter suffered a 10-cent-sized wound on his arm, which required stitches at the hospital

• Photographer Duncan sustained a scalp injury after being struck by the fence

• One photographer sustained a foot injury, while another suffered an ankle injury in the collision; all, luckily, for the most part, ok

With only one two-hundredths of a second between each image in the sequence, this is the last thing the photographers saw before the car struck the wall at 200km/h. Photo credit: @monarc._ | James J Baxter

What He Said