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.