Former Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti was hospitalized after being involved in a serious crash in the Houston Grand Prix on Oct. 6.
Franchitti was battling with fellow driver Takuma Sato during the last lap of the IndyCar Series race when both cars hit each other. The crash causing Franchitti to fly into the air before he slammed into a fence.
Debris from the incident injured at least 13 fans at the race, said the Houston Fire Department, according to USA Today.
Two fans were sent to a hospital, while others were attended to at the scene. One IndyCar series official was treated for "minor injuries."
Driver EJ Viso managed to avoid Franchitti's car, but he did hit Sato.
"Officials are investigating the incident and currently do not have further information at this time. Fan and driver safety are always a primary concern and we will provide further details as they are available," said IndyCar in a press statement.
Franchitti was put on a stretcher, left the track in an ambulance, and was taken to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
The driver was "awake" and "alert," only complaining of a sore back and ankle, said Target Ganassi Racing owner Chip Ganassi, according to FoxSports.com.
A spokesperson for Ganassi Racing confirmed Franchitti had surgery to repair his right ankle.
"Dario definitely got into the fence pretty hard," series leader Scott Dixon said about his teammate, according to Sporting News. "All in all I hope that he's OK and obviously the fans. The fence took a pretty good hit there."
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