By Elizabeth Puckett 
Car auctions are built around horsepower, spectacle, and speed — but sometimes that combination goes wrong.
From mechanical failures to driver error, a handful of auction events over the past decade have turned chaotic in seconds. While most auctions run without incident, these crashes stand out for the injuries, fatalities, and destruction they left behind.
Here are five of the worst documented car auction crashes in recent years.
1. Lynnway Auto Auction Crash — Massachusetts (2017)
3 Dead, 9 Injured
Photo from the crash at the Lynnway Auto Auction. Multiple victims. https://t.co/7TswzNMTqc pic.twitter.com/pQj73th2UR
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) May 3, 2017
The deadliest auction crash on record occurred in May 2017 at the Lynnway Auto Auction in Billerica, Massachusetts.
An SUV accelerated into a crowd inside the auction building, killing three people and injuring at least nine others. The vehicle struck workers and attendees before slamming into a concrete wall. Authorities later determined the incident was not intentional, but the consequences were catastrophic.
The crash forced a broader conversation about vehicle staging procedures inside auction facilities. It remains the most severe auction-related vehicle incident in recent memory.
2. South Florida Auto Auction Brake Failure — Florida (2023)
8 Injured
In early 2023, a vehicle being moved at South Florida Auto Auctions reportedly suffered brake failure, plowing into a group of people and another vehicle.
Eight people were injured, including at least two seriously. Witnesses said the car accelerated unexpectedly during repositioning before striking attendees.
The incident highlighted a different risk at auctions: not high-speed drama, but mechanical malfunction during routine vehicle movement.
3. North Georgia Auction Convention Crash — Georgia (2022)
7 Injured, 3 Hospitalized
A daytime car auction inside the Dalton Convention Center in Georgia turned chaotic when a vehicle lost control and struck multiple people.
Seven individuals were injured, and three required hospitalization. Officials said the vehicle entered a crowded indoor area before striking attendees.
The crash underscored how confined auction spaces can magnify the danger when a vehicle suddenly accelerates or loses control.
4. Mecum Dallas–Fort Worth Willys Crash — Texas (2025)
Multiple Injuries, Six-Figure Damage
In November 2025, chaos erupted at Mecum’s Dallas–Fort Worth auction when a heavily modified 1958 Willys pickup launched forward and crashed into a lineup of classic cars.
The truck reportedly struck a dirt mound, went airborne, and smashed into multiple high-value vehicles, including a 1966 Corvette, a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, and a 2019 Corvette ZR1.
Three people were transported to the hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. The damaged cars were either sold or awaiting bids at the time of the crash, creating significant financial and insurance implications.
Images from the scene showed crumpled bodywork and a chain-reaction collision that left several collector vehicles heavily damaged.
5. Russo and Steele Tent Collapse — Arizona (2010)
Millions in Damage
While not a driver-induced crash, the 2010 Russo and Steele auction disaster in Arizona deserves mention for scale.
High winds caused a massive event tent to collapse, crushing multiple collector cars and resulting in millions of dollars in damage. Though injuries were limited, the event demonstrated how quickly auction environments can turn dangerous when conditions shift unexpectedly.
The structural failure damaged numerous vehicles and halted the event entirely.
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Eve Nowell