James Hinchcliffe was 'touch and go' after accident

UPDATE: Wednesday afternoon, IndyCar released a statement on James Hinchcliffe's condition.

The statement says Hinchcliffe won't require further procedures and is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries.

"We're very pleased with his progress and his condition continues to improve," said Dr. Timothy Pohlman, Senior Staff Trauma Surgeon at IU Health Methodist Hospital, who performed the surgery. "Our expectation, in consultation with the IndyCar medical staff, is that a normal recovery is to be expected."

EARLIER:

James Hinchcliffe was in intensive care late Tuesday following his vicious Indianapolis 500 practice crash, though he was stable and improving.

However, when he arrived at IU Health Methodist Hospital immediately after his crash Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hinchcliffe was in critical condition. Former teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay said it was "touch and go at times."

Hinchcliffe suffered a puncture to the left upper thigh reaching the pelvic area in the Turn 3 crash, and the bleeding from a damaged artery was heavy. Immediate surgery was required.

"I think the IndyCar system as a whole needs to be commended for how well they can take care of drivers in this situation," Dr. Timothy Pohlman, senior staff trauma surgery at IU Health Methodist Hospital, said in a statement released by IMS.

Hinchcliffe's team owner, Sam Schmidt, said a piece of the car's wishbone pierced the tub and went through the driver's leg. Hinchcliffe thanked IndyCar's first responders – the Holmatro Safety Team – for their quick work.

"Words can't describe how thankful I am," Hinchcliffe said in a statement. "Those guys, in addition to the doctors and staff at the hospital, are my heroes."

After his car's right front suspension failed, Hinchcliffe hit the Turn 3 wall with a force of 125 Gs. Short-lived G-forces above 100 can be lethal. He likely was traveling more than 220 mph, and the right side of the car was mostly sheered off.

Schmidt said the medical group had "a big one to plug" and doing so stabilized the native of Oakville, Ontario. Schmidt described the wishbone going through Hinchcliffe's leg "like a knife," which drew comparisons to Eliseo Salazar's injuries at IMS in 2002.

Unfortunately, Schmidt said, the piece injuring Hinchcliffe was reinforced for this season.

"Previously, it would have folded," he said.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 500's reigning champion who drove alongside Hinchcliffe for two seasons at Andretti Autosport, believes Hinchcliffe's situation was dire.

"Without knowing all the facts, I can't say exactly what's ahead for him, but certainly it's not going to be an easy recovery," he told Sports Illustrated during a scheduled media visit to New York.

Hinchcliffe, 28, has been ruled out for Sunday's Indianapolis 500 and the foreseeable future. Though he remained in the intensive care unit Tuesday evening, remarkably he had no head or back injuries. No bones were broken either, although there was soft tissue damage.

"He's stable and improving," Pohlman said.

Kristen Dee, Hinchcliffe's girlfriend, said on her Facebook page the driver is "doing amazingly." The posted thanked fans for support.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports has not decided who will drive Hinchcliffe's car, but it likely will be a veteran, Schmidt said. Ryan Briscoe is considered a leading candidate.

Neither the team nor IndyCar have confirmed what part broke on the car, but a review of all cars was done after the accident, IndyCar president Derrick Walker said.

Schmidt said many people deserve credit for coming to the aid of Hinchcliffe's family in the moments after the crash, including driver wives Emma Dixon, Heather Carpenter and Kathleen Kimball.

Also, IMS executives Tony George and Mark Miles organized a direct flight to Turks and Caicos to bring Hinchcliffe's parents to Indianapolis. They arrived about 2 a.m., Schmidt said.

"Typical stuff (for IndyCar racing)," Schmidt said. "People went completely above and beyond what anyone can comprehend. There's a written plan (for emergencies), and they executed it."

Marco Andretti even took video gaming systems to Hinchcliffe's hospital room.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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