Longmont Indy Car Driver Dies at Pocono Raceway – Goes on to Save Six Lives

Race car driving is incredibly dangerous; that thrill is a part of what draws people into the racing game. With the danger, comes the possibility of death.  This past Sunday, Justin Wilson was killed on the Pocono track while racing.  He leaves behind a wife and two daughters in Longmont; but he leaves even more than that.

Justin Wilson was from England, but lived a lot of his time in Longmont. He’d been a race car driver since 1987, making his way onto the Indy circuit in 2008. He and his wife had two girls, who are seven and five now.

On Sunday (August 23, 2015), while racing at the Pocono Raceway during the IndyCar race, one of the driver’s crashed his car, sending debris onto the track. A piece of that driver’s car hit Justin, (age 37), in the helmet- which the presume sent him instantly into the coma that he remained in until he died on Monday night- surrounded by his family.

It’s a sad story, for sure; but there are lot of folks who will be forever thankful to Justin for what he did when he died. Justin was an organ donor.  Six people benefited from that. Six. Just like that. I think of organ donating, and seem to see it as ‘OK, somebody will get my heart’; but so many of your organs are needed and useable today that – just like Justin- you can help out many people in the event of your passing.

Just think—he passed a lot of other racers on the tracks… and now he’s passed that thrill of the race onto others. The next time you drive through Longmont, maybe you’ll say a little ‘thank you’ and a prayer for his family and his spirit.

Thanks Justin.