Wickens was alert and awake following scary accident
IndyCar driver Robert Wickens was “awake and alert” after a frightening, multi-car crash in the ABC Supply 500 race Sunday at Pocono Raceway, but suffered “orthopedic injuries,” according to IndyCar, and a pulmonary contusion, according to the Indianapolis Star.
Wickens was taken by helicopter to Lehigh Valley-Cedar Crest Hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with what the Star said were injuries to his lower extremities, right arm and spine. He was expected to undergo spinal surgery Monday night.
It took about 12 minutes for safety crews to get Wickens out of his car, and he was first taken by ambulance to the infield care centre at the track.
“That’s the worst thing you can see. He’s hurt. He’s awake and alert and at least he’s alive,” driver Sebastien Bourdais said, according to The Associated Press.
A 29-year-old IndyCar rookie with international experience, Wickens was trying to pass Ryan Hunter-Reay on the first lap when the two cars touched. Both cars crashed into the wall, with Wickens flying over HunterReay’s car and into the catch fence. James Hinchcliffe, Pietro Fittipaldi and Takuma Sato also were involved in the wreck. Hinchcliffe headed to the hospital to be with Wickens, who is a close friend and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammate.
“I was lucky to get out of that one,” Hunter-Reay said after being released from the infield medical centre. Sato was also checked and released. Fittipaldi and Hinchcliffe were released after having X-rays, according to Curt Cavin, Indycar’s vicepresident of communications.
Wickens, from Guelph, had finished in the top five in his previous five races.