The resulting damage relegated him to 19th place, while title rival Franchitti led the most laps, finished 2nd, and took an 18-point advantage. Power's season ended in a violent, high-speed 15-car crash at the final race of the season in Las Vegas that claimed the life of British driver Dan Wheldon. Wheldon, Power and 3 other drivers were taken to the hospital. He lost any chance of having the points championship after the wreck, due in part to his role in the accident (his car was damaged beyond repair) and also to the fact that the race was abandoned following the wreck. Power was later diagnosed with a vertebral compression fracture in his thoracic vertebrae and had surgery to correct the problem.