I forgot to erase the trailer last here is my message again.
I have a picture of the interior of the car after he was removed from it. It
does show a bent steering only one spoke bent rest look good. If any body
would like to see the pic just email me. It is not gruesome but I didn't
post it out of good taste.
Bill Bennett
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Beckett" <landspeedracer@email.msn.com>
> To: "Land Speed List" <land-speed@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Friday, February 23, 2001 2:01 PM
> Subject: Earnhardt & head restraints
>
>
> > Apparently all the head restraint speculation was just that. JB
> >
> > NASCAR: Earnhardt's seat belt came apart
> > By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive
> > February 23, 2001
> > 11:59 AM EST (1659 GMT)
> >
> >
> > ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - A broken safety belt in Dale Earnhardt's race car
> > resulted in his death last Sunday in Daytona Beach, Fla., NASCAR
announced
> > Friday.
> >
> > According to NASCAR Winston Cup Director Gary Nelson, the left lap belt
> area
> > of the 5-point restraining harness in Earnhardt's cockpit came apart in
> the
> > webbing area between the buckles when Earnhardt impacted the wall on the
> > last-lap of the Daytona 500.
> >
> > In an effort to eliminate any speculation, NASCAR would not say whether
> the
> > belt was frayed or cut. "The lap belt connects on both sides to the roll
> > cage. The people who came to the scene found that the buckle was
latched,"
> > Nelson said. "What we found later on, after looking at the car, was that
> > when we unbuckled it . it was separated between the two pieces of metal
> > hardware. The webbing itself had separated."
> >
> > Consequently, Earnhardt impacted the steering wheel with his head and
> chest,
> > resulting in a fatal basal skull fracture, according to Dr. Steve
> Bohannon,
> > Director of Emergency Services for Daytona International Speedway.
> >
> > "The major impact of Mr. Earnhardt was forward and to the right,"
Bohannon
> > said. "The belt gave way and let the body move forward and to the right,
> and
> > it likely contacted the steering wheel with the chest and face. It
appears
> > that probably his chin struck the steering column in such a way that the
> > forces were transferred up the mandible . and into the base of the
skull."
> >
> > Helton said the broken belt was discovered Sunday evening after the
> > accident. Richard Childress, the longtime owner of Earnhardt's
Chevrolet's
> > said the belts in question were brand new, manufactured in November
2000.
> >
> > Nelson said that such an incident had never been seen before in NASCAR's
> 52
> > years.
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