Justin Wilson has died after being hit by flying debris and suffering a serious head injury at the Pocono IndyCar 500 race on Sunday.
Wilson was taken to hospital from the Pocono IndyCar 500 race in Pennsylvania after Sage Karam’s car rolled and crashed in front of him on lap 179 of 200. Ex-Formula 1 driver Wilson, who was 37, had been in a coma since sustaining a head injury when he was hit by a large piece of debris that broke off from Karam’s car.
IndyCar Reaches Out
IndyCar made the announcement at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday night. Mike Miles, CEO of IndyCar parent company Hulman & Co, said in a statement that Justin’s elite ability to drive a race car was matched by his stable kindness, character and humbleness, which is what made him one of the most respected members of the paddock.
Family Matters
The Memory of this racing great, Wilson, who was originally from Sheffied, in England, will survive through his wife Julia, and two daughters. In a statement his family said that he was a “highly competitive racing driver who was respected by his peers, as well as a loving father and devoted husband.”
Karam, whose car was involved in the deadly incident, shared his sympathy on Twitter after the news broke on Monday night. “I can’t find the proper words to describe the pain and sympathy I feel for Justin and his family. #RIPJustin” – Karam said. Other drivers also joined the tribute on Twitter as news spread that Wilson had not survived the accident.
It is a sad loss indeed for the world of motor racing but the icon shall live on through our memories and living testimony which lies within his family.
