It was a massive shunt at Pocono yesterday that left 29-year-old IndyCar rookie Robert Wickens injured but fortunately alive.
The Canadian driver, a revelation in IndyCar this season, was running wheel-to-wheel with Andretti's Ryan Hunter-Reay when the two drivers touched, igniting a huge crash that ultimately wiped out five cars.
Wickens collected Hunter-Reay's Dallara, was launched into the catch-fencing before spinning endlessly in the air, with all four corners of the car torn off.
The tub came to rest, it's driver still conscious but afflicted with heavy wounds to his legs, right arm and spine. Wickens was airlifted to hospital where he was also diagnosed with a pulmonary contusion.
The cars of Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe, Pietro Fittipaldi and Takuma Sato were among the incident's casualties, but all four drivers fortunately emerged unscathed from the spectacular wreck.
The race was delayed for nearly two hours as crews repaired the fencing, eventual winner Alex Rossi admitting in Victory Lane that it was "tough to celebrate" with Wickens in hospital.
Needless to say, the Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports driver won't be racing again this season as he faces a lengthy recovery period ahead.
