Dan Wheldon Dies in 15-Car Crash

Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died Sunday, October 16, 2011 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after his car became ensnared in a fiery 15-car pileup. He was taken immediately from the scene and died at a local hospital.

It was a crowded event with 34 cars and drivers were reaching speeds up to 225 mph, which is fast even by IndyCar standards. At those speeds, there is little room for error and the crash was believed to have been caused when tires of two cars bumped one another.

His last Tweet sent this morning as the race started said simply, "Green!!!!" No one expected this was the last Tweet he would ever send.

After the announcement of Wheldon's death, officials decided to cancel the race. Wheldon was the IndyCar driver to die on the track since rookie Paul Dana was killed in 2006.

It is not, however, the first time we have seen drivers of professional racing lose their lives on the track. The events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway were one more reminder that no matter what type of safety gear and precautions they use, this is still a very dangerous sport. In seconds, a life can be tragically changed or ended on the racetrack.

Ten years ago, Dale Earnhardt died at the Daytona 500, a severe and shocking blow to NASCAR fans everywhere. His death led to many advancements in safety gear for NASCAR since and we have seen many drivers walk away from horrific accidents.

Even in the early hours after Wheldon's death, some have started to question whether or not this could have been prevented. Wheldon himself just recently spoke out about concerns that his car would not go fast enough. Others had expressed concerns over the extreme speeds the cars would reach and still others have questioned whether or not an Indy race should ever have been held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

It is the first time since 2000 that an IndyCar race was held here and some people do not believe the track was suitable for such a race. Is it possible that Wheldon's death could have been prevented or is this just another tragic risk that people in this profession take?

Wheldon was 33 years old and is survived by his wife, Susie, and two children, Sebastian, 2, and Oliver, 8 months.