Swedish newspaper Nerikes Allehanda has reported that an act of vandalism took place at Almby cemetery where the body of ex-F1 racer Ronnie Peterson was kept.
Peterson died in 1978 after a heavy crash during the Italian GP at Monza. His injuries were too severe and after spending a night at the hospital, his condition deteriorated as he was proclaimed dead early morning, the following day of the crash.
His funeral was attended by F1 racers like Ake Strandberg, James Hunt, Jody Scheckter, John Watson, Emerson Fittipaldi, Gunnar Nilsson and Niki Lauda, as Peterson was laid to rest at Almby cemetery in their family grave in Orebro, Sweden.
The year Peterson died, he finished second overall with two wins and seven podiums in all, while in contention for his maiden F1 title. In the 123 races he entered in, he had 10 wins and 26 podiums to be one of the best, not only from Sweden but in the world.
Swedish newspaper Nerikes Allehanda reported about vandalism at the Almby grave, where the caretaker stated that it wasn’t just in particular for Peterson but the whole cemetery. The incident took place on the night of March 29 (Sunday).
“It’s just shameful,” church leader Brita Wennsten was quoted as in the report from Nerikes Allehanda. “It had nothing to do with the person of Peterson. Everything indicates that the perpetrators acted indiscriminately. I feel sorry for the relatives.
“Nobody wants to remember his loved one and find such a sight. It is completely unnecessary, a shame.” The grave of the wife of Peterson, Barbro, was also beside the Swede after she committed suicide due to the loss of the 34-year-old.
Tommy, brother of Ronnie Peterson, also was disappointed by the act from some individuals as he couldn’t understand the reasoning behind doing such deeds.
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