Dan Wheldon - Death

Death

At the IZOD IndyCar World Championship at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on 16 October 2011, Wheldon was involved in a 15-car accident during lap 11 of the race, in which Wheldon's car flew approximately 325 feet (99 m) into the catch fence with the cockpit area first into a pole lining the track before landing back on the ground. The carnage and ensuing debris field resulted in race officials throwing a red flag almost instantly. Wheldon was extricated from his car by the Holmatro Safety Team and their Las Vegas-based colleagues and was airlifted to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada for his critical injuries. After interviewing the championship contenders Randy Bernard, president of IndyCar, announced to the officials, drivers and fans that Wheldon had died from the accident after being pronounced dead on arrival. He was 33 years old.

Officials, after input from drivers and team owners, declared that the race would be abandoned, and that a five lap, three-car–wide formation salute would be held in Wheldon's honour, with his number 77 being displayed alone at the top of the scoring pylon. He had been the only driver participating in Go Daddy's IndyCar Challenge where he and a randomly selected fan would have been eligible for US$2.5 million each if he won the race starting from last place.

An autopsy conducted on 17 October 2011 concluded that Wheldon died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Wheldon's funeral was held on 22 October 2011 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Fellow drivers Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan attended the funeral, and served as pallbearers along with Wheldon's brothers. IndyCar held a public memorial service for Wheldon a day later at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Wheldon was the fifth Indianapolis 500 winner to die in a racing accident in the same year as winning the race, and the first multiple winner to do so. Preceding him were Gaston Chevrolet (1920), Joe Boyer (1924), Ray Keech (1929) and George Robson (1946).