DaMATTA in major accident!

Magnethead

Magnethead

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talk about a freak accident!

I hope he is OK, apparently he had surgey for a "subdural hematoma."
 
I'm wondering why Road America doesnt just spring the money and put some dang fencing up?
 
Da Matta In Critical Condition: Cristiano da Matta suffered severe head injuries Thursday after striking a deer during Champ Car testing at Elkhart Lake, Wis. The 32-year-old Brazilian was airlifted to Theda Clark Medical Center hospital where he underwent surgery Thursday night. His condition was critical. “After arriving at Theda Clark Medical Center, a head CT scan showed Cristiano had suffered a subdural hematoma," stated Dr. Chris Pinderski, Champ Car Director of Medical Affairs. "He was urgently taken to the operating room for surgical removal of the hematoma and is now being observed in the intensive care unit.” The next 24 hours will be crucial for the 2002 CART champion as doctors try to reduce the swelling in his brain. According to an eyewitness, da Matta was heading for Turn 6 at Road America when the deer ran out in front of him and struck the right front of his RuSPORT Lola. The deer caromed into the ****pit as da Matta smashed into the tire barrier with his foot still planted on the throttle. Safety crews extracted him on a backboard and applied an oxygen mask as he was taken to a helicopter. In the wake of the crash, RuSPORT announced that Justin Wilson and the #9 team will not participate in the final day of Champ Car testing at Road America. da Matta was coming off his first podium of the season, a second place last Sunday at San Jose.(Speed Channel)(8-4-2006)
 
Good news...

Latest on Da Matta: Doctors caring for Cristiano da Matta say the Champ Car driver continues to show steady progress. Da Matta suffered a serious head injury eight days ago after colliding with a deer while testing at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. "Most of his sedation has been removed," said Champ Car medical director Chris Pinderski. "Cristiano is moving all of his extremities spontaneously, as well as responding to physical stimulation."(Dallas Morning News)(8-11-2006)
 
With all the emphasis on safety in racing there is no excuse for having deer on the track.
 
da Matta update 8/18: Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta remains hospitalized 15 days after colliding with a deer that ran onto the Road America track in Elkhart, Wis. Champ Car Series medical director Dr. Chris Pinderski said da Matta could be moved out of intensive care as soon as today. As of Thursday, he had not yet fully regained consciousness at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, Wis., but no longer was using a ventilator, Pinderski said in a statement. Pinderski said da Matta is showing gradual improvement and becoming more alert each day.(Miami Herald)(8-18-2006)
 
Cristiano da Matta's Condition Steadily Improving
August 24, 2006
RuSPORT driver moved from intermediate care unit to regular hospital room; becoming more responsive

LOVELAND, Colo., Aug. 24, 2006, 4:15 pm EDT – Champ Car World Series driver Cristiano da Matta (#10 RuSPORT Ford-Cosworth / Lola / Bridgestone) continues to make significant progress as he recovers from a serious head injury at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, Wisc. Over the past few days, da Matta has become more responsive to verbal commands and audible stimuli, and has continued to move his arms and legs regularly. Da Matta was injured after colliding with a deer that ran onto the track near Turn Six at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., on August 3. His family has remained by his side throughout his recovery process.

Champ Car Medical Director Dr. Chris Pinderski spoke with the Theda Clark medical staff today. The following statement is an update from Pinderski on da Matta’s medical status.

“Cristiano has now been transferred from the intermediate care unit to a regular hospital room at Theda Clark Medical Center. He is becoming increasingly responsive to verbal commands from family and hospital staff. He continues to make daily progress in his recovery, and we look forward to that trend continuing in the coming days.”

-----------------------------------
We don't hear a lot (if anything) abut da Matta's prognosis. Does anyone know about this type of injury? Will he come out of this and have a typical life (without racing, I assume)?
 
Brain injuries are real bad and unpredictable ajk112802. I'm hoping for the best for Cristiano but will be happy if he just regains his mobility and most of his mental faculties. I've had 2 uncles die of brain injuries so my personal outlook for him is rather pessimistic :(
 
SlowNeasy said:
Brain injuries are real bad and unpredictable ajk112802. I'm hoping for the best for Cristiano but will be happy if he just regains his mobility and most of his mental faculties. I've had 2 uncles die of brain injuries so my personal outlook for him is rather pessimistic :(
Click to expand...

See this what I've always thought but as no one is mentioning anything about recovery/prognosis/etc. except "contiuned improvement" I thought maybe I had missed something and this wasn't as serious or bleak as I understood it to be. It's not that I think they should say "he'll be lucky to be mobile with somewhat average cognitive skills" either.
I've seen Cristiano race in CART it's really a sad sports tragedy that is getting very little attention. ...I wonder if it's just because it was a ridiculous and inexcusable way for a driver to get injured and not a racing accident.
 
Thanks to 'miracle' recovery, da Matta going home

Updated: Sep. 22, 2006


ELKHART LAKE, Wis. -- About 90 percent of people who sustain a head injury as severe as Cristiano da Matta's never wake up.

And many of those who do spend the rest of their lives in a vegetative state.

That's why Dr. Randall Johnson considers da Matta's recovery a "miracle."

Da Matta was in a coma for nearly a month after a deer wandered onto the track during an Aug. 3 test session at Road America, hitting his car and causing a crash.

These days, da Matta is walking, talking and playing his guitar -- and as of this morning, on a private plane home to Miami.

Johnson, who performed emergency neurosurgery on da Matta seven weeks ago, says the driver still tires easily but is "doing fantastic" and can expect continued improvement.

"He's going to ride a bicycle," Johnson said. "He's probably going to drive a car. Is he going to drive a car like this at high speed, race again? I don't know. I wouldn't be willing to rule that out."

Johnson, who grew up going to races at Road America with his father, was on call when da Matta was airlifted to Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah.

"In the middle of the operation, I found out this was more or less an internationally well-known driver," Johnson said.

Johnson quickly removed a ruptured vein in da Matta's brain, then had to remove approximately 40 percent of the right side of da Matta's skull to give his brain room to swell.

Johnson wasn't able to replace the missing piece of da Matta's skull until last Friday.

"It takes a long time for the brain to relax and to get back into the skull," Johnson said. "He still had quite a bit of the brain out of the skull underneath the scalp for an extended period of time."

Based on computer data from da Matta's race car, Johnson said da Matta probably saw the deer as he was rounded Turn 5, a 90-degree left-hander, and drove up a hill toward Turn 6. Crash recorder data showed that da Matta hit his brakes well before he normally would have to slow down for the next turn. Rescue workers found da Matta unconscious with his foot still on the brake pedal.

Crew members believe the deer hit front wing of da Matta's car, then hit him in the helmet. Johnson said crash-absorbing material inside da Matta's helmet compressed completely, meaning it absorbed as much energy as it possibly could.

"All the rest of the energy dissipation was taken by the brain tissue itself," Johnson said.

RuSport team president Jeremy Dale called Johnson "absolutely brilliant" and raved about the medical care da Matta received.

"It's a very unique situation," Dale said. "Neenah is a small town, but that hospital is a very good hospital. It's a great, great hospital. And no one can speak to that, I think, better than the da Matta family. And I've been there with them quite a bit and I've seen how he's been taken care of, and I've seen also how the family's been taken care of."

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
 
It was great seeing the prerace piece they did on "Shorty" before Sundays race. He sure look good and seems very normal. I hope he continues to recover.
 
latest update--GREAT News :)

Da Matta recovers from crash with deer
Associated Press Sports
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -Cristiano Da Matta has recovered from a head injury following a collision with a deer at a recent Champ car test.

"I'm almost completely recovered, living a normal life and focused on my health,'' Da Matta said Wednesday on his Web site.
The 33-year-old was hospitalized for several weeks and underwent brain surgery following the Aug. 3 accident at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Da Matta's car collided with a deer that wandered onto the track.

"Due to the physical therapy, I can already move my arm whatever way I want, and I know I just need to work a tiny little bit on my strength,'' he said.

Da Matta said all his doctors were "impressed with how fast'' he was recovering, and said he was gradually being able to return to normal life.

"I'm very happy to be able to do almost all the stuff I would do normally through any given day, (such) as playing guitar, running, spinning in my stationary bike, and really enjoy all this time I've been spending with my family, friends and my girlfriend,'' he said.

The Brazilian driver needed emergency surgery to remove a ruptured blood vessel in his head after the accident and was sedated for several days.

Da Matta told local media this week he has thought about returning to racing, but hasn't made any plans.

"I made a promise not to think about racing again before I'm 100-percent recovered,'' he said. "I'm not being able to completely keep this promise, of course, but I try to stay away from the subject.''

Da Matta said he remembers little about the crash.

"All I remember is the first impact, when the right-front tire hit the deer, then it's all a blank,'' he said.

Da Matta has 12 career Champ Car victories - including four straight wins in his championship season of 2002, tying a series record. Da Matta left Champ Car after winning the title and drove for the Toyota Formula One team in 2003 and 2004.
 
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