Hughes said he had contact with another car at the start before losing his brakes.
From fifth on the grid, the Andretti Global driver failed to slow sufficiently and clipped the AJ Foyt Racing driver.
Damage to de Tullio took him out of the contest while Hughes was able to continue. He finished three laps down in 21st after repairs and a drive-through penalty.
“At the start, when the lights went green, the car from the right side of the grid just drove into me before the brake zone,” Hughes explained.
“Then, when I hit the brakes, it just felt like nothing happened. After that, three laps down, I was just bringing it home at that point.”
Tymek Kucharczyk led the field back to green on Lap 9 ahead of Juan Manuel Correa and Enzo Fittipaldi.
Correa was taken out of contention on Lap 11 when he was stung with a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact at the start.
Abel Motorsports with Force Indy driver Myles Rowe enjoyed a strong middle stint, hunting down Fittipaldi and taking second away on Lap 20.
On Lap 26, the caution was thrown for debris.
Shortly after the restart, Rowe threw it up the inside of Kucharczyk at Turn 3 and forced him wide.
With the pair cast well wide of the apex, Fittipaldi slipped up the inside to take the lead.
On Lap 31, the yellow was thrown when Chip Ganassi Racing’s Niels Koolen parked his car in the tyre barrier.
Fittipaldi ultimately survived a 10-minute dash to the chequered flag, clinching victory over Rowe behind the control of the Safety Car after Andretti Global driver Max Taylor crashed.
Nicolas Stati was the best of the Australian trio in seventh for HMD Motorsports while Cusick Morgan Motorsports’ Jack Beeton was 13th.
Indy NXT continues at Gateway on June 8 (AEST).
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