Kyle Busch battled sepsis for only a day before the rapid formation of blood clots led to fatal hemorrhaging and blood loss, according to the death certificate obtained by Us Weekly.
Busch died at 41 on May 21 after being rushed to the hospital when he was found unresponsive inside a race simulator near Charlotte, North Carolina. It was later revealed that the married father of two was battling pneumonia, which led to sepsis.
Now, as detailed by a North Carolina medical examiner, Busch’s sudden demise is coming into focus.
Sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection, caused Busch’s blood to clot, which then impeded his organs, according to Us Weekly. As a result, Busch went into hemorrhagic shock.
During an emergency call placed around 5:30pm on May 20, a 911 caller was heard urgently requesting an ambulance to a training facility in Concord, North Carolina – where the racing legend was preparing for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 event in Charlotte.
The 911 caller tells the operator that Busch had ‘shortness of breath’ and was ‘very hot.’
Kyle Busch battled sepsis for only a day before blood clots led to hemorrhaging, blood loss and, ultimately, death, according to the death certificate
NASCAR Hall of Famer and RCR team owner, Richard Childress, Samantha Busch (wife) Brexton Busch (son) and NASCAR Chief Executive Officer Steve O’Donnell stand on the grid during the remembrance ceremony for Kyle Busch, who passed away suddenly at the age of 41
‘[He] thinks he’s going to pass out, and he’s producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,’ the caller added.
They confirmed that Busch was still conscious at the time while repeatedly telling dispatch: ‘He is awake. He’s awake. He’s awake.’
According to the audio, the NASCAR great was lying on a bathroom floor at the facility while employees prepared for paramedics to arrive.
The caller asked responding crews to shut off their sirens when approaching the building and told them he would wait outside and flag them down at a side entrance.
Previously, Busch was had been dealing with a sinus issue towards the end of a NASCAR Cup Series race in Watkins Glen, New York on May 10 when he radioed his pit crew to ask for the help of Bill Heisel, a certified physician’s assistant who has worked with the stock car circuit for years.
‘Can somebody try to find Bill Heisel?’ Busch asked the Richard Childress Racing crew. ‘He’s the [inaudible] doctor guy. Tell him I need him after the race, please… I’m gonna need a shot.’
Busch would go on to finish eighth and later told The Athletic on May 16 that he was still battling a cold prior to the May 23 All-Star race in Dover, Delaware.
