Indy 500 Driver Has 'Disastrous' Pit Road Accident Sunday

"I wasn't sure if it was the brakes or because the tires were cold," Shwartzman said. "And then, when I came back to my pit, I really did not push. I tried to be very slow, but as soon as I touched my brakes, my front just locked. I just went straight into my guys."

Shwartzman said one crew member suffered a minor injury, but everyone is ultimately OK. He'll wait to examine his car after the race to identify the reason for his brake issue.

"I'm happy that everybody is fine," he said. "It was really scary because, at the moment when I breaked, I was just a passenger."

Shwartzman entered Sunday as the first rookie since Tony Stewart in 1996 to start the Indy 500 from the pole position. The Russian-Israeli driver called it "really sad" that he couldn't capitalize.

"This is what happens. This is Indy," he said. "We just need to learn from it, and hopefully next year we'll come and have a proper battle for the win."

Shwartzman wasn't the only one to have a bad day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Another alarming pit road incident occurred when Alexander Rossi's car caught fire during a stop.

"That's what's so painful about this place," Rossi said. "You have to have so many things go right. It's just disappointing because it's another opportunity gone."

After enduring his own unfortunate pit stop, Kyle Larson's race ended early when he crashed into the wall on the 92nd lap. The wreck at least allowed him to fly out to Charlotte for NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600.

Meanwhile, Scott McLaughlin's day ended before the first lap. A week after crashing during a qualifying practice run, he wrecked during warmups.