Tragedy struck on the National Mall in Washington, DC, last week when a 61-year-old man lost his life during the unloading of a racecar adorned by the iconic artist Andy Warhol.
Emergency personnel rushed to the scene near the Washington Monument on 14th Street and Jefferson Drive shortly before 3 PM on Wednesday, September 17. According to a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police Department, Hyperallergic reports, the incident involved a worker being pinned beneath the vehicle when a winch intended to secure the car failed. Although medics attempted to treat the critically injured man inside a box truck, he was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.
The individual has been identified as Joseph Keegan from Parsippany, New Jersey. Authorities indicated that the incident seems to be accidental in nature, according to the MPD spokesperson.
This unfortunate event occurred while crews were delivering a 1979 BMW M1, transformed into an artistic marvel by Warhol for the Cars at the Capital exhibition. This annual showcase highlights vehicles from the National Historic Vehicle Register. Warhol’s distinctively painted racecar is part of a pioneering series of customized “art cars” initiated by BMW in 1975. This collection features collaborations with various renowned artists, such as Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg, among others.
Remarkably, Warhol completed the car’s design in just under thirty minutes. Its recognition through the National Historic Vehicle Register, which took place in August, signifies that archival photographs, sketches, and detailed historical information will be preserved at the Library of Congress. The car was set to be displayed within an illuminated glass case at the exhibition organized by the Hagerty Drivers Foundation (formerly the Historic Vehicle Association) on the National Mall.
Originally scheduled to begin at 9 PM on September 17 and continue until midnight on September 23, the exhibition has been canceled in light of this tragedy, as indicated in a recent Facebook announcement.
A spokesperson for the Hagerty Drivers Foundation conveyed their condolences, stating, “Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to the deceased’s family. Out of respect for the deceased, we will not comment further at this time,” as reported by Hyperallergic.
