In 2008, 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher ran over a civilian in Kent with his FIAT Ducato van and was held by police.
F1 legend Michael Schumacher was behind the wheel of a FIAT Ducato van and was heading towards a private airfield near Lydd when he struck a civilian.
The civilian was a car dealer from Kent named Martin Kingham. He was closing a security gate on his premises when Schumacher struck him while trying to overtake another car at the time.
The man did not get injured and escaped from any damage but he was left with an extra shock after he learned that the man behind the wheel was the 7-time world champion.
Kingham told the media that he was putting the security bars up outside his garage before leaving for home. In order to do so, Kingham explained that he has to stand on the edge of the road and keep an eye on traffic.
Explaining the incident, he said, “Out of nowhere I heard a bang from behind me. It spun me round and I was thrown forward onto my face, hitting the bonnet of a parked van.
“Then I saw a big blue van go by and realised they’d hit me. I thought I recognised the driver, but my head was spinning.”
The civilian said that Schumacher screamed at him, “What the f*****g hell were you doing in the road?” The F1 legend was furious as if the civilian made a mistake followed by which Kingham called the police.
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Try telling people you were hit by Michael Schumacher
The police officers took Schumacher under custody and performed a breathalyser test which he passed before informing Kingham who was the man behind the wheel that struck him.
The officers had asked the civilian to wait while they spoke to the German F1 driver. “An officer came in and said this guy’s claiming to be Michael Schumacher. Then another told us she’d seen his ID and it was him,” said Kingham.
“Try telling people you were hit by Michael Schumacher and see what response you get. My wife thought I was winding her up. I guess it shows once a racing driver, always a racing driver.”
Later a spokesperson for Schumacher confirmed the incident and said the former Ferrari driver had cooperated fully with police at the scene.
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