IndyCar Racer Robert Wickens Hospitalized Following Terrifying Crash

IndyCar driver Robert Wickens was hospitalized Sunday and transported to a hospital via helicopter [...]

IndyCar driver Robert Wickens was hospitalized Sunday and transported to a hospital via helicopter after a serious crash sent him and his vehicle spiraling.

The 29-year-old collided with Ryan Hunter-Reay's car during the Pocono 500 in Pennsylvania when he tried passing Hunter Reay on lap seven. The two bumped together and were launched into the air and over the side fence. Wickens suffered extensive injuries to his legs, right arm and spine. He also suffered bruising to his lungs in the crash.

A statement released by IndyCar said Wickens "will undergo an MRI [scan] and probably surgery at Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest," where he is being treated.

Hunter-Reay said he thought Wickens was no longer alongside him when they entered the corner.

"He had a run out of turn one, came up along the side of me, but I was in the draft of [Will] Power in front of me so I started pulling ahead. Once we got to [turn] two he was at my corner at best. I mean barely there," he said, according to Racefans.net. "I thought, at that point, I had got to him, cleared him. I even gave room. I left a lane, left a half of a lane, if not more. I've got to look at it again. I was pretty shocked I got hit in the back."

Wickens' teammate and Dancing With the Stars alum Ryan Hinchcliffe was also hit by debris from the collision ahead of him.

"I took my hands off the wheel when I went backward and I think some piece of debris came in as I was holding [my hands] in, kind of just smacked the top of them so I took a bit of a beating. But nothing is broken, just some swelling and some cuts. We'll rest it up and be fine," Hinchcliffe said. "Obviously, I'm just hoping Robbie's alright. Never good to see a car go up [into the fence] like that, but I know he is in good hands. Hopefully, we'll see him back in the car soon."

Paul Tracy, who was part of the NBCSN commentary team during the race, urged the sport to find an alternative to the chain link fence and posts used to contain accident debris at tracks. "[I'm] so relieved that Robert Wickens will be OK," Tracy posted on Instagram. "But that again was too close for comfort. It's long overdue for the racing industry to start looking into a new way of retaining the cars inside the track without poles, fence and cable."

"If it were me I would have much rather gone out of the park! We lost Dan Wheldon. Dario Franchitti and Robert Wickens had [angels] looking down on them," he continued. "But it's time as a community of racers and fans to push things to a higher level. I know reaching is a dangerous game and we know the risks, but it can always be better."

The race was red-flagged for two hours while a damaged fence post was repaired. Alexander Rossi won the race, but his thoughts were with Wickens. "It's tough to really celebrate after what happened," he said after the race.

Photo credit: Icon Sportswire / Contributor / Getty Images

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