INDIANAPOLIS -- IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, who was struck by flying debris off a crashed race car, has died, Mark Miles, CEO of the parent company of IndyCar, said late Monday. He was 37
A part careening off a crashed race car struck IndyCar driver Justin Wilson in the head, leading to severe injuries that have left him in a coma.
The nose cone of driver Sage Karam's car flew off after he crashed Sunday at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, and struck Wilson in the head. Wilson's No. 25 Andretti Autosport Honda then hit a wall before coming to rest on the track.
Wilson, was flown to at Lehigh Valley Health Network-Cedar Crest Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he was listed in critical condition Sunday, according to IndyCar.
Unlike NASCAR vehicles, IndyCar vehicles have an open cockpit, leaving racers more exposed.
The accident happened with 21 laps left in the ABC Supply 500.
Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, who won the race, said the accident looked terrifying.
"Just to be an innocent bystander like that and get hit in the head with a nose cone is a scary thought," Hunter-Reay said.
"He has a family, just like I do. He's a great friend, a teammate. Can't say enough about the guy on and off the racetrack."
Wilson is survived by his wife, Julia, and children Jane and Jessica.
