IndyCar: Fan injured by debris at St. Petersburg

ABOVE: View of fan being treated from atop the adjacent grandstand illustrates how far the part traveled before striking her.

A fan walking behind the grandstands of Sunday's IndyCar opener at St. Petersburg was struck by a flying piece of debris from a car and suffered a fractured skull.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Brigitte Hoffstetter was walking in the concession area near Turn 10 when a piece of carbon fiber from one of the cars flew over the grandstands about 100 yards from the track and struck her in the head. She was immediately treated by St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue (LEFT) before being transferred to Bayfront Health, where she remained in the trauma unit Monday night.

"It's crazy what happened," said her husband, Greg Hoffstetter, in a text message. "It could have been very bad – it's amazing she's alive."

It's unclear which piece of which car the part came from because there were several incidents during the 110-lap race that created parts of front and rear wings flying off cars.

As of noon Tuesday, IndyCar had no official statement but it's believed Derrick Walker, president of competition, stayed in Tampa to try and visit with Mrs. Hoffstetter.

The race promoters issued this statement: "On Sunday, March 29, a spectator was injured during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. She was treated on scene and transported to Bayfront Medical Center for further treatment where she was admitted and remains in stable condition. We wish her well and a speedy recovery."

IndyCar issued a statement indicating that the matter is under investigation by the sanctioning body:

"The safety of INDYCAR’s fans and participants is of the highest priority. The series is investigating an incident where a spectator was injured at St. Petersburg on March 29. This process is consistent with INDYCAR’s procedure following all race incidents and part of its persistent effort to make safety improvements. INDYCAR wishes the spectator well and hopes for a speedy recovery."