ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 18, 1997 TAG: 9703180068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MIAMI
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nemechek's injuries are ``an 8 1/2 on a scale of one to 10,'' said a doctor. Meanwhile, the track where the crash occurred is being remodeled.
If NASCAR truck series driver John Nemechek survives, it will be months before physicians know the extent of his inoperable head injuries, doctors said Monday.
Nemechek was on life-support systems after suffering a ``severe brain hemorrhage'' in a crash Sunday at the Florida Dodge Dealers 400 in Homestead.
The brain injury is inoperable, said Dr. Phillip Villanueva, director of the neuro-trauma unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
``The bruises are located within the brain stem and do not lend themselves to surgical intervention,'' he said. ``The injury would be described as an 8 1/2 on a scale of one to 10'' in severity.
Villanueva said medication and brain cooling were being utilized to protect Nemechek from further brain damage.
``John Nemechek remains in extremely critical condition and on life support following a minor procedure that inserted a catheter to relieve the swelling of his brain,'' said Dr. Stephen Olvey, director of the Jackson Memorial Hospital neurosurgical intensive care unit.
Nemechek was injured when his truck hit the wall in turn 1 on the 144th lap at the 1.57-mile track.
Jay Sauter, who sustained a concussion in another wreck, was listed in good condition Monday. His truck collided with Tobey Butler's in turn 4 on the 157th lap. Butler was not injured.
The track began reconstructing the course Monday to reduce the severity of the turns in an attempt to attract a Winston Cup race. The changes were planned before the Sunday accidents.
Track spokesman Kevin Courtney said there was no reason to believe there was a problem with the turns that could have caused Nemechek's accident.
``This accident could have happened at any track at any time,'' he said.
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Nemechek KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB