List of Indianapolis 500 Fatal Accidents

Fifteen drivers have died as a result of racing in the "500". Eleven races involved accidents claiming the lives of drivers.

• 1919
  • Louis LeCocq
  • Arthur Thurman

Thurman's car turned over on lap forty-four, and he was killed instantly. LeCocq's car similarly turned over on lap ninety-six, causing the fuel tank to rupture and burst into flames, killing LeCocq and his riding mechanic.

• 1929
  • Bill Spence

Spence turned over in turn two on lap ten, throwing him from the car. He was taken unconscious from the track, but died en route to the hospital from a fractured skull.

• 1933
  • Mark Billman
  • Lester Spangler
• 1935
  • Clay Weatherly

Weatherly was driving the same car Johnny Hannon had fatally crashed ten days earlier while testing. Moreover, in a practice run the throttle had stuck, forcing Weatherly to kill the engine to avoid another crash. In lap 9 of the race, Weatherly went into and over the wall in turn four. He was already dead when rescue crews arrived. His riding mechanic was critically injured but survived.

• 1939
  • Floyd Roberts

• 1947
  • Shorty Cantlon

Cantlon swerved to avoid Bill Holland's car, which had gone onto the inside grass and skidded back across the track. Cantlon's car went into the outside wall, causing severe chest, leg and internal injuries. He died at the track hospital shortly afterward. Holland went on to finish second.

• 1953
  • Carl Scarborough (expired, evidently from heat exhaustion, approximately one hour after calling for a relief driver)

According to Donald Davidson, when Scarborough pulled into the pits, smoke or a small fire may have broken out on the car, wherein crews quickly doused with fire extinguishers. In the process, Scarborough may have inhaled CO₂, which may have contributed to, or been the actual cause of death.

• 1955
  • Bill Vukovich

Vukovich, the two time reigning Indianapolis 500 champion, was leading the race when Rodger Ward spun his car coming out of turn two. Al Keller and Johnny Boyd touched wheels as the two were trying to avoid Ward, causing Boyd's car to hit Vukovich, who was attempting to lap the other three drivers. Vukovich's car hit and went over the outer wall, sending it into a high-speed cartwheel outside the track. Vukovich died of a basilar skull fracture before any help could reach the scene.

• 1958
  • Pat O'Connor
• 1964
  • Eddie Sachs
  • Dave MacDonald

Coming out of turn 4 on lap 2, MacDonald spun and crashed into the inside wall. The car exploded and went back onto the track, into the path of oncoming traffic. Sachs hit MacDonald's car, and his car caught fire as well. Sachs was killed instantly of injuries and severe burns. MacDonald was declared dead a short time after in the infield hospital.

• 1973
  • Swede Savage (died in hospital July 2, death may have been from contaminated blood transfusion rather than directly from the crash)