The latest up date, really puzzling? Still in shock. Corner Worker said he never lifted, attempted to turn or brake? Straight into the rock.
Rich Shafer (Mr. Cool Shirt) passed away late yesterday afternoon (Oct. 3) from complications after a wreck at Turn Three of the Crow Mountain Hillclimb. It was Rich’s second run up the mountain, and witnesses say there were no brake lights (there definitely were no skid marks) and that he didn’t appear to try and make the corner. There was a heavy impact against the rocks on the outside of the corner. He was conscious and talking to the workers as they cut the roll cage to get him out (they were aware of his history of back issues), and said he had a lot of pain in his lower abdomen. The EMTs were not able to find a pulse in his feet, and that’s when they called for Life Flight. His blood sugar was also well over 200 – high enough that they asked if he was diabetic. I’m not a doctor (or a lawyer), so I’ll not speculate on what happened to cause the wreck.
Reportedly his heart stopped at least once before he got to the hospital ( Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga ) but they got him going again. Reportedly they also tried clamping his aorta to restrict the blood flow to his lower extremities so I’m guessing he had major bleeding in his abdomen and/or legs, but they were unable to control it. I don’t believe he ever regained consciousness at the hospital, but his wife Eilene, son Tom, and assorted friends, fellow racers, and co-workers were there when he passed. “Shocked” was the operative word for the next fifteen minutes or so.
Rich was a helluva guy – full of life and always looking forward to the future. He loved his family, he loved his friends, and he loved racing. For Rich the words “you can’t do that” were a challenge to be overcome rather than a statement of limits. More than once he said he was lucky enough to still be able to get in the car (after two back surgeries), and he’d continue to mash the gas pedal until he couldn’t do so any longer. He turned sixty-six last April and could still outdrive guys half his age. We had a lot of good times together.
Sorry about that man, terrible thing to happen, :bestwishes: to his family and all fellow racers....
