Fansided

Robert Wickens ‘awake and alert’ after ABC Supply 500 crash

By Brittany Frederick

TORONTO, ON - JULY 15: Canadian Robert Wickens, a rookie on the circuit, works his way into a 3rd finish. Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, takes the checkered flag at Honda Indy Toronto race at CNE grounds. Toronto Star/Rick Madonik (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JULY 15: Canadian Robert Wickens, a rookie on the circuit, works his way into a 3rd finish. Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, takes the checkered flag at Honda Indy Toronto race at CNE grounds. Toronto Star/Rick Madonik (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

IndyCar driver Robert Wickens is “awake and alert” following a terrifying crash in Sunday’s ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway that sent him airborne.

Robert Wickens bore the brunt of a vicious crash in Sunday’s Verizon IndyCar Series race, and the Canadian driver was conscious and alert while being transported to the hospital.

Wickens made contact with Ryan Hunter-Reay early in the ABC Supply 500, causing the rookie’s No. 6 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports car to go airborne and fly into the catch fence at Pocono Raceway.

The vehicle was shredded and the tub containing Wickens was seen skidding across the racetrack as debris flew, collecting several other cars in the aftermath.

Wickens was not seen leaving his vehicle after the crash, but Verizon IndyCar Series communications director Curt Cavin said that Wickens was “awake and alert,” a report confirmed by the series’ Twitter account.

NBC Sports has footage of the accident.

Hunter-Reay, Takuma Sato, Pietro Fittipaldi and Robert Wickens’ teammate James Hinchcliffe were also involved in the wreck. According to IndyCar on Twitter, Hunter-Reay and Sato were both checked out at the Pocono Raceway medical center and cleared to drive. Hinchcliffe has been cleared and released, with no injuries.

An update on Fittipaldi was not immediately available, but he was seen getting out of his cars under his own power and was taken to the infield care center.

Robert Wickens’ crash was the second incident in the day, as Graham Rahal and Spencer Pigot were involved in an accident during the start of the race.

Rahal made contact with the rear end of Pigot’s car during the start and sent Pigot skidding into an infield wall, but both drivers were unharmed.

The ABC Supply 500 is currently under a red flag while the track is repaired.

(Update 10:00 p.m.): Wickens is being treated for injuries to his lower extremities, right arm and spine. He also sustained a pulmonary contusion. He will undergo an MRI and probable surgery at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest. More updates will be presented as they are available.

Next. ABC Supply 500 preview. dark

More updates on the condition of Wickens as they are made available. For complete coverage of the 2018 IndyCar season, follow the Motor Sports category at FanSided.