Watch: Kyle Busch’s Health Decline Detailed in Death Certificate
Details have emerged about how Kyle Busch struggled with his health in the final weeks before his unexpected passing.
The 41-year-old, who was hospitalized in North Carolina after being found unconscious in a race simulator, several sources told the Associated Press, had been dealing with ongoing health concerns that ultimately led to his death on May 21.
Busch faced a “chain of events” for several “days to weeks” prior, which started with pneumonia and eventually advanced to sepsis in his last 24 hours, according to a death certificate obtained by Us Weekly.
The severe immune system reaction resulted in blood clots that negatively impacted Busch’s internal organs, a condition that the medical examiner called intravascular coagulation. The death certificate stated that was followed by hemorrhagic shock, a condition caused by severe bleeding, per the University of Utah.
The details of Busch’s physical condition expand upon a previous statement released by his family—including wife Samantha Busch and their kids, Brexton, 11, and Lennix, 4—confirming his cause of death.
“The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications,” the Buschs told NBC News in a May 23 statement, before asking for “continued understanding and privacy during this difficult time.”
Busch’s sudden death has rocked the NASCAR community, with his friends and colleagues—including fellow racer Dale Earnhardt Jr.—speaking out to honor his legacy.
“What I’ve enjoyed, I guess, is learning more about Kyle the person,” Earnhardt shared on a May 26 taping of The Dale Jr. Download podcast. “We know who he is on the race track, we know how he is on the race track and in the media, and so forth. What he was like at the track with the suit on and in that environment. I knew him on a personal level.”
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Driver Daniel Suarez—who won the Coca-Cola 600 just days after Busch’s death—dedicated the prize to his late mentor of over 10 years with similarly touching words of remembrance.
“Every win is special. But definitely, this one has a special flavor because of Kyle. This one is for him,” Suarez said in an interview following the race on May 24, adding, “It’s been a very tough week. Kyle, he was special, man.”
Keep reading to look back at more of Busch’s accomplished life.
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