Fatal Ferrari crash on Beijing freeway evokes political scandal of Hu aide

A red Ferrari slammed into road guardrails and went up in flames early yesterday in Beijing, drawing similarities with another Ferrari crash that caused a political uproar two years ago.

One man in the car died and two were injured in yesterday's crash, which happened at 3am on a highway near Beijing Capital International Airport in Shunyi district.

The Beijing Evening News said the three men in the car were pulled out alive, but one died on the way to hospital. One of the survivors, 21, suffered only a broken arm. None tested positive for alcohol, Xinhua reported.

The Legal Evening News said a 20-metre section of guardrail was bent and pieces of the vehicle were scattered nearby. Rescuers said the car was probably being driven very fast when the crash happened.

Ferrari China's public relations agent in Shanghai said the company would launch an investigation into the accident.

He said the Ferrari 458 was designed for only two people.

The crash sparked intense interest online and photos of the wreckage went viral on Sina Weibo.

Commentators are drawing similarities with a Ferrari crash almost two years ago.

On March 18, 2012, rescuers pulled from the wrecked 458 Spider the body of Ling Gu, 23, the son of Ling Jihua , a top aide to former president Hu Jintao.

Two young women who were with him in the car were seriously injured.

Ling's attempts to cover up the accident eventually led to him being sidelined in a leadership reshuffle later that year.

"Midnight? Ferrari? Three passengers in the car? The same pattern as in the Baofusi Bridge [accident]," one user wrote on Sina Weibo, referring to the previous crash.

Beijing police did not reply to questions about yesterday's crash.