Nothing is more gut-wrenching than watching a racers’ prized possession transformed from a running car into a mangled pile of sheet metal before your eyes. But a series of events led to just that in the staging lanes of the Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, California, on Saturday afternoon.

Most racers would consider the staging lanes to be a relatively safe area at a drag strip — if those on foot are paying attention, of course — but sadly this was not the case on this day. What started as a normal Saturday afternoon of testing, suddenly turned into an accident scene involving a 1932 Ford, a brand new 2016 Callaway Camaro SC610, that was unveiled just two days prior, along with three other track-going Mustangs that were preparing to make passes down the track.

The incident began as the driver of the ’32 Ford was weaving his way through the staging lanes. The drivers’ suicide door inadvertently opened and managed to clip the open door of a Fox body Mustang. As the driver turned to look back, it appeared that he may have mistakenly hit the throttle pedal instead of the brake, pitching the roadster sideways and sending it straight toward the Callaway Camaro and another Mustang.

As the three window coupe collided with the two vehicles, the Camaro took the brunt of the impact, with the force so brutal that both rear tires were lifted completely of the ground. Those nearby could see the sheer terror on the drivers’ face as the incident unfolded. The force of the accident also pushed the second Fox body into an S197 Mustang that was situated right in front of it.

With the staging lanes usually bustling with racers and crew, it’s very fortunate that no bystanders were injured. The drivers thankfully all walked away.

This is a valuable lesson to all racers and race fans alike that the dangers of the track are very real, and that one must always be on alert, no matter where you are.