German driver suffers horrific airborne crash

German driver Sophia Flörsch suffered a spine fracture after careering through the air and crashing through a safety fence at the Macau Grand Prix on Sunday.

The 17-year-old from Munich was taken to hospital, along with four others who were also injured in the collision.

Flörsch lost control of her Van Amersfoort Racing car at a speed of over 250 kilometers (173 miles) per hour before hitting fellow driver Sho Tsuboi and hurtling over a barrier.

Footage of the crash posted to social media shows her vehicle shooting through the air and landing in a photographers' area on one of the narrow city circuit's bends.

A statement from the organizers said the teenage driver was conscious and in a stable condition. Flörsch later took to Twitter to confirm that she was "fine but will be going into surgery tomorrow morning." 

The crash happened as Flörsch was completing her fourth lap of a Formula 3 race.

She was the first woman from Germany to compete in the event. 

nm/amp (AFP, dpa)

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