Seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, 49, was killed in a last-lap wreck involving Ken Schrader on the backstretch while a car that he owned, driven by Michael Waltrip, won the race. He was pronounced dead at Halaifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach. See my Dale Earnhardt Tribute page with the news, some images, and many story/column links
UPDATE AUTOPSY: An autopsy on race car legend Dale Earnhardt conducted Monday morning revealed he died of blunt force trauma to the head, county officials said. Dave Byron of the Volusia County Communication Division said Earnhardt’s death was being treated as a “motor vehicle accident.” Byron said toxicology was not expected to be involved.(CNN/SI)(2-19-2001)
UPDATE 2: more results from the Autopsy – Monday, Earnhardt’s body was taken to the medical examiner’s office for a routine autopsy after he was pronounced dead at the hospital. His personal belongings – a pair of black socks, a racing suit, black gloves, his helmet, underwear and racing boots – were returned to his wife, Teresa. The report showed that when his race car smashed into a concrete wall at an estimated 180 mph, it broke eight ribs, his left ankle and his breastbone. There were several scrapes on his body. He had blood in his ears and chest and partially collapsed lungs(That’s Racin’) and Earnhardt had a skull fracture that ran from the front to the back of his head, according to the autopsy. The impact also fractured his sternum, eight ribs on the left side and his left ankle. The report said there was a blow to the back of the head, but did not indicate any broken neck vertebrae. The final autopsy report will not be available for several weeks, pending the completion of routine blood and toxicology tests. Earnhardt’s body was released to the family on Monday afternoon after going to a local funeral home(AJC)(2-20-2001)