Formula One Driver Loses Eye in Crash

Maria de Villota's car collided with a stationary truck
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 4, 2012 2:33 PM CDT
Formula One Driver Loses Eye in Crash
In this Thursday, March 15, 2012 file photo, Marussia test driver Maria de Villota of Spain poses for a photo ahead of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia.   (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, file)

Formula One driver Maria de Villota lost her right eye at a test event in Britain yesterday, when her car crashed into a stationary truck, CNN reports. De Villota, daughter of former F1 driver Emilio de Villota and one of just two female drivers contracted to an F1 team, was driving the MR01 car for the first time, and team officials are investigating the cause of the crash.

The 32-year-old sustained "serious head and facial injuries" in the accident, according to a statement from her Russian-owned team Marussia. "Maria's care and the well-being of her family remain our priority at this time," it continues. "Her family are at the hospital and we are doing everything possible to support them." (More Maria de Villota stories.)

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