The car crash involving Ryan Newman on the last lap of the race at Daytona 500 almost took away a father, a husband, and a racing legend from us. It marked one of the most intense and alarming incidents at Daytona since Dale Earnhardt's tragic death in 2001.
During the final lap, Blaney, driving behind Newman, pushed his fellow Ford driver ahead of Denny Hamlin, propelling Newman into the lead. However, it seemed Blaney lost control after a nudge from Hamlin, resulting in a collision with Newman's car.
Newman's vehicle swerved, collided with a retaining wall, flipped, went airborne, and was struck sideways by another car. The subsequent impact sent the car further into the air before landing on its roof and sliding across the finish line amidst sparks and flames.
Emergency crews swiftly acted, extricating Newman from the wreck, rushing him to the hospital in serious condition but thankfully without life-threatening injuries. The latest update revealed that Newman was awake and able to communicate.
But hold up, what really went wrong? How did a pro like Newman end up in such a heart-stopping crash? Could it have been avoided?
These aren't questions with easy answers, but here’s what we do know on Ryan Newman car crash, and let's hope it’s the start of getting those answers.
Ryan Newman Car Crash: What Happened in The Car Crash That Almost Ended His Life
It was a Monday Afternoon at the Daytona International Speedway, drivers were already on the race track pushing their cars to the limit hoping to get to the finish line first. Just before the final lap, there had already been a crash earlier in the race, but since it didn't affect the leader, there was no yellow flag to slow things down, and the race continued.
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Ryan Blaney, who was in third place, teamed up with Ryan Newman, who was in second place, and together, they strategically manoeuvred their way to overtake the leader, Hamlin. This manoeuvre put Newman in the lead while dropping Hamlin in third place. As they approached the final turn, Newman led Blaney and Hamlin. However, as Blaney got too close to Newman’s car, that was when things went awry.
Blaney's car pushed Newman's No. 6 car from behind, sending it off course to the right, where it collided with an energy-absorbing barrier. The impact caused Newman's car to flip into the air as other racers approached the checkered flag. Corey LaJoie, travelling at high speed, collided with the driver's side of Newman's airborne car, sending it airborne once more. Newman's car landed on its roof and slid down the track, finally coming to a stop in ninth place at the finish line.
In a split second, Newman's overturned car caught fire. The rescue teams swiftly extinguished the flames, flipped the mangled vehicle back onto its wheels, and began the challenging task of extracting the injured Newman from the wreckage. It took approximately 16 minutes for the safety crews to free Newman from his No. 6 Ford and transport him to a nearby hospital. This harrowing incident nearly claimed the life of Ryan Newman on that dramatic day at the racetrack.
Ryan Newman’s Condition: Updates on his Health and Recovery
In the wake of the crash, medical professionals swiftly jumped into action, attending to Newman's injuries with unparalleled expertise. After a while, Newman’s team, Roush Fenway Racing released a statement, assuring everyone that while Newman was in serious condition, his injuries were not life-threatening, according to the doctor’s assessment.
On Tuesday afternoon, an update on Newman's condition was released by his team, stating that he remained at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach. Encouragingly, he was awake and engaging in conversations with his family. Gratitude was expressed by Newman and his family for the outpouring concern and support from across the nation and the unwavering backing of the NASCAR community.
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The following day brought even more uplifting news from his team. They announced that Newman was "fully alert and moving around." They even shared a touching photo of him with his daughters. Up till today, specific details about Newman's injuries remained undisclosed.
