IndyCar's Justin Wilson succumbs to injuries in yesterday's crash

Indy Racing League driver Justin Wilson has died from injuries sustained in the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. The Andretti Autosport driver was 37 years old. Wilson leaves behind a wife and two daughters.

Wilson was struck by debris from Sage Karam's crashed racer. Karam's nose cone struck Wilson's head, knocking the Briton unconscious which led him veering into the retaining wall. Wilson was unconscious when the medics arrived at the scene. He was airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he was in a coma. Wilson passed away later that evening.

IndyCar announced Wilson's death around 9:00 PM ( US, Eastern time) and declined to answer any questions surrounding the crash. Mark Miles, CEO of IndyCar, said:

“This is a monumentally sad day for IndyCar and the motorsports community as a whole. Justin's elite ability to drive a race car was matched by his unwavering kindness, character and humility – which is what made him one of the most respected members of the paddock. As we know, the racing industry is one big family, and our efforts moving forward will be focused on rallying around Justin's family to ensure they get the support they need during this unbelievably difficult time.”

IndyCar said it will be able to answer questions regarding the accident in the folowing days as they begin their investigation. Wilson's death comes three years after Dan Wheldon who also died due to head injuries in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Born in Sheffield, England, Justin Wilson was a two-time runner up in the Champ Car series and won three races in IndyCar. Wilson also had a stint in Formula One with the Jaguar Racing team. He showed potential in the series, scoring points in the USGP, but had to withdraw when Jaguar Racing shut down in 2003. He was also a Formula 3000 champion and a 24 Hours of Daytona winner.