This Sunday commemorates a solemn milestone: 25 years since the legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt tragically passed away during the closing lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
At the time of the accident, Earnhardt was racing in third place, trailing his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip. All three were competing under the banner of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, and the revered driver and team owner was aiming to achieve a 1-2-3 finish for his team.
However, the race took a devastating turn when Earnhardt’s car was nudged by Sterling Marlin, causing him to lose control of the left rear tire and crash into the wall coming off Turn 4.
In a recent conversation with OutKick, Dr. Steve Bohannon, who was among the first responders to the accident, recounted the heartbreaking scene he encountered upon reaching Earnhardt at the track.
“It’s a terrible thing to see somebody die,” Dr. Bohannon reflected. “I was focused solely on the care of my patient, regardless of their identity. Once we were in the trauma bay, it became clear to me that he wasn’t going to survive.”
The doctor who responded to Dale Earnhardt’s fatal wreck is reliving the tragedy 25 years later
Earnhardt’s crash in the 2001 Daytona 500 was the last time a driver died on-track
Dr Steve Bohannon (right) opened up about that fateful day in February of 2001
Dr. Bohannon had just embarked on his role as the Medical Director of Emergency Medical Services at Daytona International Speedway, a position he would continue to hold for ten years.
‘I had just started in that position,’ recalled the now-retired 68-year-old medical professional.
‘And I mean, s**t hit the fan. So yeah, I was new to that.’
Bohannon was raced over from his position on Turn 2 and new almost instantly that Earnhardt had passed.
‘I think everybody knew at the scene,’ he said. ‘Everybody knew that he had passed away at impact. I knew all the medics, and they shook their heads when they saw me walk up.
‘I went in and checked his pulse, and saw the blood coming from the ears and from the airway, and knew it was a basal skull fracture and that he had no sense of life.’
He added, ‘When the car stops, the body keeps moving. And when your body quits moving, your brain keeps moving and decelerates inside your skull, and the forces are tremendous.’
Bohannon said doctors still ‘gave him the benefit’ and attempted to bring him back to life. Earnhardt was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to Halifax Health Medical Center.
He claims that doctors at the hospital ‘worked on him for at least 30 minutes’ before pronouncing him dead.
Bohannon revealed that Dale’s wife, Teresa, was in the room when he was pronounced dead
Then, NASCAR president Mike Helton announced to the world the tragedy of his death
Dale’s wife, Teresa Earnhardt, was let into the trauma room after previously being held back by security.
‘She just let us do our jobs, and watched,’ Bohannon recalled. ‘I felt like it was important – I’ve always felt like it was important – for the family to see that everything is being done for their loved one.’
After pronouncing him dead, Bohannon informed NASCAR president Mike Helton of the tragedy – leaving it up to him to announce to the world, ‘We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt.’
In the aftermath of the wreck, NASCAR implemented multiple safety precautions. This included the mandating of HANS devices in cars to protect the heads and necks of drivers.
Tracks around the country also installed so-called SAFER Barriers to lessen the impact of crashes.
The impact has resulted in NASCAR being free from the death of a driver in the Cup Series’ since Earnhardt’s tragic passing.
