IndyCar fan injured by debris from wreck that sent tire out of the track

Some fans at the Indianapolis 500 got more adrenaline than they bargained for this afternoon. That’s because, with 17 laps to go, a tire from the car of Kyle Kirkwood flew off and then over the fence after a collision with Felix Rosenqvist.

The important thing is that no one was officially injured by the tire. However, per Jeff Gluck at The Athletic, one fan was injured by other debris caused by the accident. In a response from IndyCar, Gluck added that the spectator was “seen at the infield care center and released.”

IndyCar confirms no one was injured by the tire that flew out of the track. However, one person was injured by the debris from that incident; they were seen at the infield care center and released, IndyCar says.

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 28, 2023

Kirkwood’s tire didn’t end up harming any fans. However, it did do a number on a fan’s car that was parked in a track parking lot per reports from the Indy Star.

Again, this could have ended far, far worse had a person actually been hit by the tire considering how high it was and how rapidly it was moving. A crisis was averted, though, as the race finished its 107th edition with more than enough accidents.

Kirkwood flips, tire narrowly misses fans during terrifying Indianapolis 500 crash

A major crash occurred with 16 laps to go in the 2023 Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) resulting in a tire nearly landing in the grandstands.

Running 6th at the time, Felix Rosenqvist got loose going into the corner of Turn 2, hitting the wall and sliding back towards the straightaway. Kyle Kirkwood slammed into the side of Rosenqvist’s No. 6 Chevrolet. That sent him sliding upside down against the wall through the corner. After initial contact, Rosenqvist’s left-front tire flew into the air, narrowly missing the fans watching on.

Harrowing moment at the Indy 500 as a tire is flung from Kyle Kirkwood's car following a collision with Felix Rosenqvist. pic.twitter.com/R5qdlzpZ76

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 28, 2023

While no fans were struck by the tire, a white Chevrolet sedan parked in the corner of Turn 2 took the full force of the flying rubber.

As for the drivers involved in the crash, both emerged from their cars uninjured. After a nearly 30-minute delay, the Indy 500 started back up with eight laps remaining. After being cleared from the infield medical center, Rosenqvist described what happened from his vantage point.

“I got on the wrong side of the wake, and the rear came out on the exit of the corner. And I just hit the wall. We had a hell of a car… I want to thank my team for giving me such a great car,” Rosenqvist said, via USA TODAY.