Justin Wilson was struck in the head by a piece of debris that flew off another competitor’s auto when it hit a wall.
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“You’ve got to know the risks and work out if those risks are acceptable”, Wilson told The Associated Press after breaking his back in 2011.
Wilson leaves behind his wife, Julia, and their two young daughters Jane, 7, and Jessica, 5.
Mark Miles, CEO of IndyCar’s parent company Hulman & Co, said in a statement: “This is a monumentally sad day for IndyCar and the motorsports community as a whole”.
Mansell, now 62, said: “We are praying for Justin Wilson just so unlucky keep fighting our thoughts are with him and his family, at this hard time”.
While everyone was shocked and distraught while digesting the news, many other professional drivers poured in with prayers for Wilson and his family.. We’ve embedded the address for the fund below.
The Sheffield-born 37-year-old was airlifted to a Pennsylvania hospital and had been in a coma since the incident but passed away on Monday evening.
The Briton had previously raced in Formula 1 in 2003, racing part of the year for the Minardi team before switching to Jaguar Racing, scoring a point in the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Four years ago, Fellow Briton and two-time Indianapolis 500 victor Dan Wheldon lost his life aged 33 at the Las Vegas Indy 300 following a 15-car crash.
Justin was a good friend of the TFL team and he will be missed. He had competed in American open-wheel racing since 2004, including six races this season for Andretti Autosport, owned by former driver Michael Andretti. He also made sure that people remembered Wilson’s widow and children, who along with Stefan, were at the driver’s side when he died.
Earlier in the season, driver, James Hinchcliffe was seriously injured when he was hit by debris from a vehicle during a race.
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His brother, Stefan, who also races professionally, admitted he “can’t even begin to describe the loss” that he felt, and praised the generosity of Justin – who it has been revealed will donate his organs to those in need of help.
