Indy 500 Champion Dan Wheldon Dies After A Horrifying IndyCar Crash In Las Vegas

Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon died of injuries sustained in a 15-car wreck at the IndyCar World Championships in Las Vegas today.

Wheldon was airlifted to a nearby hospital with undisclosed but severe injuries after the crash, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, but was unable to recover.

IndyCar announced his death shortly before 6:00 p.m. eastern time.

The crash occurred during the 13th lap of the race.

It appears Wheldon's car went airborne, turned, and slammed into a semi-flexible "catch fence" above the wall. But the exact details of the crash and injuries he sustained are still undisclosed.

Three other drivers were hospitalized with more minor injuries.

Wheldon was 33 years old. He is most famous for winning the Indy 500 in both 2005 and 2011.

He leaves behind a wife and two sons.

Below you can find ancedotes, driver reactions, and videos of the crash.

EARLIER

6:15 p.m.:

Tragic scene in Vegas. Many drivers crying as they prepare to drive on a five-lap tribute around Las Vegas Moter Speedway.

6:20 p.m.:

Here's what Danica Patrick told the AP after the crash:

It was debris everywhere across the whole track, you could smell the smoke, you could see the billowing smoke on the back straight from the car. There was a chunk of fire that we were driving around. You could see cars scattered.

Others have said it's the worst crash they've seen.

6:30 p.m.:

Three other drivers — Will Power, Pippa Mann, and JR Hildebrand — were injured in the crash. None of them were airlifted, and there is no indication that their injuries are as severe as Wheldon's.

7:25 p.m.:

It appears that Dan Wheldon wrote a blog post for USA Today yesterday. It's a chilling and saddening read. But it gives you an insight into Wheldon's thoughts and frustrations on the eve of the race that would ultimately claim his life. Read it here.

8:20 p.m.: What Wheldon saw

Here's video of the very beginning of the crash from Wheldon's cockpit. It cuts away before he collides.

MORE VIDEO

Here's a full version of the replay from above:

Here's one from an onboard camera of Will Power:

View the original article here

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Las Vegas Submits Rogue Bid To Host The 2020 Olympics

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Las Vegas Animal Shelters Are Overrun With 'Foreclosure Kittens'

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With the flood of Nevada foreclosures still raging and yet more people being forced from their homes, the cities abandoned pet population is booming.

According to the Las Vegas Sun hundreds of former pets have been roaming the Las Vegas valley in recent years and by some counts this year has turned out twice as many.

The Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has formed a "Feline Foster Force" to help connect cat lovers with deserted pets and their offspring.

"The need is incredible," Doug Duke of the NSPCA told the Sun, "We have more than 200 little kittens with no mothers." That's one-fourth the 800 rabbits, cats, dogs, and other pets at the no-kill shelter. "We've been challenged but we've never been challenged to this extent," Duke says.

The center is calling for volunteers to help with the burden with raising newborn kittens that need to be bottle fed every few hours. The animals stay with volunteers until they're old enough to be spayed or neutered and adopted.

Local individuals or families interested in fostering can call the Nevada SPCA at 873-SPCA or stop by the shelter at 4800 W. Dewey Drive in Las Vegas.

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