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Wheldon died of head injuries
Source: Agencies |
October 19, 2011, Wednesday
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TWO-TIME Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died of head injuries after a spectacular 15-car wreck at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy said on Monday.
The 33-year-old Wheldon was pronounced dead at 1:54pm on Sunday at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he was flown by medical helicopter after the crash at the track about 19 kilometers away.
After an autopsy, Murphy ruled the death an accident, the result of blunt trauma to the head due to a motor vehicle collision, and offered condolences to friends and family of the married father of two from England. "We'll be working with family and IndyCar officials and the attending physicians to fully review the case in an effort to improve safety for drivers," he said.
Three other drivers were injured in the fiery crash on lap 11, none seriously. Pippa Mann, 28, had surgery on a burned right pinkie finger and was released on Monday, as was 23-year-old JR Hildebrand, who had a bruised sternum. Will Power, 30, was evaluated and released on Sunday.
The race was called off after Wheldon's death was announced, although drivers drove a five-lap salute to their colleague.
Wheldon's death not only left fans stunned but plunged series officials into crisis management mode as the season-ending celebration turned to disaster.
England's Darren Turner, a former F1 test driver for McLaren, would replace Wheldon for this weekend's Gold Coast 600 race in Australia, organizers said yesterday.
Meanwhile, former Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell has said that when accidents happen in IndyCar racing drivers have nowhere to go but the wall.
"In Indy racing, there is simply nowhere to go. When an accident happens you are into the wall in a split second," Mansell told BBC Radio 5 live. "To have 34 cars travelling at 220mph on a mile-and-a-half long circuit, there are too many cars on the track.
"The trouble is there are no small accidents when accidents happen. There were a number of rookie drivers and others driving in their first race of the season," the British driver added.
Mansell, who won the F1 world title in 1992 and the IndyCar title a year later, lauded Formula One for it safety measures.
"This is why Formula One does an exemplary job," he said.
"The tarmac runs off so the driver has time to decelerate the car."
Red Bull Formula One driver Mark Webber said IndyCar would learn from the accident and look to make improvements.
"I think the pack racing element of it is particularly hazardous," the Australian told reporters in Sydney.
"The single seaters, to be that tightly packed, to be rubbing each other at 350 kilometers an hour, that's what they are probably going to look into on a short oval."
The 33-year-old Wheldon was pronounced dead at 1:54pm on Sunday at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he was flown by medical helicopter after the crash at the track about 19 kilometers away.
After an autopsy, Murphy ruled the death an accident, the result of blunt trauma to the head due to a motor vehicle collision, and offered condolences to friends and family of the married father of two from England. "We'll be working with family and IndyCar officials and the attending physicians to fully review the case in an effort to improve safety for drivers," he said.
Three other drivers were injured in the fiery crash on lap 11, none seriously. Pippa Mann, 28, had surgery on a burned right pinkie finger and was released on Monday, as was 23-year-old JR Hildebrand, who had a bruised sternum. Will Power, 30, was evaluated and released on Sunday.
The race was called off after Wheldon's death was announced, although drivers drove a five-lap salute to their colleague.
Wheldon's death not only left fans stunned but plunged series officials into crisis management mode as the season-ending celebration turned to disaster.
England's Darren Turner, a former F1 test driver for McLaren, would replace Wheldon for this weekend's Gold Coast 600 race in Australia, organizers said yesterday.
Meanwhile, former Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell has said that when accidents happen in IndyCar racing drivers have nowhere to go but the wall.
"In Indy racing, there is simply nowhere to go. When an accident happens you are into the wall in a split second," Mansell told BBC Radio 5 live. "To have 34 cars travelling at 220mph on a mile-and-a-half long circuit, there are too many cars on the track.
"The trouble is there are no small accidents when accidents happen. There were a number of rookie drivers and others driving in their first race of the season," the British driver added.
Mansell, who won the F1 world title in 1992 and the IndyCar title a year later, lauded Formula One for it safety measures.
"This is why Formula One does an exemplary job," he said.
"The tarmac runs off so the driver has time to decelerate the car."
Red Bull Formula One driver Mark Webber said IndyCar would learn from the accident and look to make improvements.
"I think the pack racing element of it is particularly hazardous," the Australian told reporters in Sydney.
"The single seaters, to be that tightly packed, to be rubbing each other at 350 kilometers an hour, that's what they are probably going to look into on a short oval."
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