Eddie Miller nearly fatal crash at Indy 500 (May 17, 1976) VIDEO & ALL PICTURES

In his first attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, Ed Miller suffered almost fatal crash on practice day. He lost control coming out of turn one, and spun to the inside. The car hit an earth embankment, flipped over wildly, cleared two fences, then came to rest upside-down near the bleachers. Miller suffered a two fractured vertebrae in his neck, but luckily survived.

This was his first and only attempt to race at the Indy 500. He would never return to the Indanapolis 500 again.

Eddie "Ed" Miller (born 17 Jan 1945) is a retired American race car driver from Vail, Colorado. Miller was the 1975 Formula Super Vee national champion. In 1976 he was badly hurt in his only Indianapolis 500 attempt, and he pretty much stopped racing shortly after that. A builder and property developer, Eddie largely raced in sportscars but also appeared in Formula 5000 and won the 1975 Formula Super Vee title. Miller has been competing in SCCA National Championship road races since 1969, each year qualifying for the American Road Race of Champions in a Formula Ford. 1969 to 1971 were not successful at the ARRC. Miller enjoys flying and raising Quarter Horses for show.