Former Indy 500 Driver and 17 Year Old Killed in I70 Accident

GOLDEN, Colo. January 26, 2003; The AP reported that Johnny Mauro, who competed in the 1948 Indianapolis 500, was killed in a head-on collision.

Mauro's car crossed into incoming traffic on Interstate 70 Thursday night, about 10 miles west of Denver, state Trooper Ron Watkins said.

Both Mauro, 92, and Christopher Basinski, 17, were killed. A 16-year-old passenger in Basinski's car was injured, authorities said.

Mauro usually drove a couple of blocks every day to drop off bank receipts from the U.S. Truck Driving School he founded, but rarely drove on the interstate, said Mauro's nephew, Richard Lammers, who runs the school.

"I don't think he's been on I-70 for 20 years. We don't know how he got there," Lammers said. "It's a tragic accident. We feel for ourselves and the other parties involved."

Mauro raced for years in the Midwest, using the name "Jack Morris" for a time so his parents wouldn't know he was racing. He finished eighth behind winner Mauri Rose in the Indy 500 in 1948.