Joseph 'Swede' Savage crash and death (1973)

Joseph 'Swede' Savage was critically injured in a crash during the 1973 Indianapolis 500 on May 30 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and died on June 13, 1973 after extended hospitalization. His car hit the inside wall and caught fire following contact with another car; Savage sustained severe head and chest injuries and later died from complications including infection. There was contemporary and later debate about the role of medical care and inhalation of fuel and smoke in his death, and the incident prompted scrutiny of emergency response and fuel safety at the track.