Four-time IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti fractured two vertebrae, broke his right ankle and sustained a concussion when his car went airborne into a catch fence during the final lap of the Grand Prix of Houston on Sunday, with flying debris injuring 13 spectators and a series official. 
 
 Franchitti was transported to a hospital where the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner would be held overnight, and a series official was treated for minor injuries. 
 
 Houston Fire Department spokesman Ruy Lozano said 11 of the 13 injured fans were treated on site at Reliant Park. Lozano said two were taken to the hospital for treatment. 
 
 The accident occurred when Franchitti's car clipped the tire of the car driven by Takuma Sato when the two were coming out of Turn 5 at the Reliant Park race course. After Franchitti's car hit the fence, it landed back on the track. Also involved in the wreckage was E.J. Viso, whose car collided with Sato's car. 
 
 The accident brought an immediate caution flag and the race was halted with Power declared the winner. 
 
 Sato said his car clipped the wall before Franchitti's car collided with his. 
 
 "On the last lap I caught the marbles and brushed the wall and lost momentum," Sato said. "A couple cars passed me as I was off line and in Turn 5. I got very loose and Dario and I came together. Hopefully Dario is OK." 
 
 The accident in Turn 5 was reminiscent of Dan Wheldon's fatal 2011 crash at Las Vegas; in both cases, competitors had to drive through the wreckage. 
 
 
 
 It was a sobering moment for race winner Will Power, who broke his back in the Las Vegas crash, and Scott Dixon, who took control of the IndyCar championship race Sunday but passed by teammate Franchitti's car and waved in an attempt to get an update on his condition. 
 
 
 
 “The smells and the visuals, for me, and even talking to Will, you have the remnants of Vegas popping into your head with you coming around the corner and you can't drive through it because there's a field of debris,” Dixon said. “There was no near the amount of damage that we saw [in 2011], but seeing the replay was a big shock.” 
 
 Dixon will head to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana for the series finale on Oct. 19 with a 25-point lead over Helio Castroneves, who surrendered first place in the standings when he finished 23rd after mechanical problems Sunday. 
 
 Wire service and Internet reports contributed to this story. 
 
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 HOUSTON -- Four-time IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti was injured in a multicar accident near the end of Sunday's Grand Prix of Houston. 
 
 According to IndyCar medical director Dr. Michael Olinger, Franchitti was awake and alert at the scene. He was transported by ground to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, where it was determined he sustained a concussion, a spinal fracture that will not require surgery, and a fracture to his right ankle. He underwent surgery on the ankle. 
 
 Safety team members work to remove Dario Franchitti from his car after a crash during the second IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston on Sunday. AP Photo/Juan DeLeon 
 
 A considerable amount of debris from the crash, including a wheel and tire assembly, flew toward a spectator area near Turn 5 of the 1.7-mile temporary track that winds through Reliant Park. 
 
 Houston Fire Department spokesman Ruy Lozano said at least 13 people were treated for minor injuries, with two transported to Memorial Hermann. One of those transported was IndyCar timing and scoring worker Kim Tyger, whose injuries were called "very minor" by the sanctioning organization. 
 
 Franchitti was running in 11th place, four spots behind Takuma Sato, when Sato's car lost grip and slid on Lap 88 of 90. Several cars got past the Japanese driver, but he veered into the path of a fast-closing Franchitti, whose car was launched into the steel catch fence that lines the course. 
 
 The accident occurred at one of the fastest parts of the Houston course, on a blind right-hand bend that leads into a favored passing zone at Turn 6. 
 
 Franchitti's car shredded a large section of fencing as it spun airborne before landing on the track. E.J. Viso's car was also swept into the accident. 
 
 "He's talking," Franchitti team owner Chip Ganassi said in an interview with NBC Sports Network. "His ankle is a little sore and his back is a little sore. 
 
 "He's gonna take a trip to the hospital, that's for sure. But he's OK." 
 
 Target Chip Ganassi Racing said Monday that Franchitti will remain in Houston for a few days and then be taken to Indianapolis for further evaluation. The team also said Franchitti thanked his fans for their support. 
 
 The final two laps were run under caution, with Team Penske's Will Power earning the win over Franchitti teammate Scott Dixon. 
 
 Dixon's second-place finish gave him a 25-point lead in the IndyCar Series standings heading to the Oct. 19 season finale at Fontana, Calif. Helio Castroneves, who entered Sunday's race as the points leader, suffered gearbox problems and finished 23rd. 
 
 "I'm concerned for the fans," Dixon said of the wreck. "It looks like the fence took a pretty good hit there, and I hope nobody in the stands got hurt. 
 
 "It looked like [Franchitti] was moving around when I went by. I tried waving to him. He didn't wave back, but I'm sure he was focused on some other things there. All in all, I hope he's OK." 
 
 After driving through the crash scene at reduced speed behind the pace car on the final lap, Dixon said he was reminded to a lesser extent of Dan Wheldon's fatal crash two years ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 
 
 "It's the smells and the visuals," Dixon said. "You have the remnants of Vegas popping into your head, coming around the corner, and you can't drive through it because there's a field of debris. There was nowhere near the amount of damage that we saw a few years back, but seeing the replay, I think, was the big shock. 
 
 "When I was driving around, I didn't even look at the fence. To see Dario's car definitely brings home what we do each weekend and the difficulties that we can have out there. It's not a good sight to see, that's for sure." 
 
 Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
– Three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti is in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a shocking multicar crash at yesterday's Houston Grand Prix. The Scotsman suffered a concussion, a spinal fracture that will not require surgery, and a fractured right ankle in the crash that also left 13 fans and a race official with minor injuries from flying debris, ESPN reports. Team officials say Franchitti was awake after the crash and is going to be OK. Franchitti's car went airborne into a fence after he clipped the tire of Takuma Sato's car during the final lap. "On the last lap I caught the marbles and brushed the wall and lost momentum," Sato tells the Los Angeles Times. "A couple cars passed me as I was off line and in Turn 5. I got very loose and Dario and I came together. Hopefully Dario is OK." Race winner Will Power says the crash brought back disturbing memories of Dan Wheldon's fatal accident in Las Vegas two years ago.