Former NASCAR star Kyle Busch died last week in North Carolina at age 41. The death certificate, obtained by The Associated Press, indicates that the cause was hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation, resulting from sepsis due to bacterial pneumonia.
The details of the death
The Mecklenburg County document indicates that Busch had symptoms of bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks” before sepsis developed. The manner of death was recorded as “natural.” He was cremated in Mooresville after an autopsy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that sepsis is a medical emergency in which the immune system damages its own tissues by reacting extremely to an infection.
Despite being ill, Busch continued competing. On May 10, at Watkins Glen, he reported a cold and sought medical attention after the race. He then won the Truck Series at Dover and finished 17th in the All-Star Race, five days before his death. He also attended the opening of a go-kart track with his 11-year-old son Brexton.
The family announced that they would not participate in the Coca-Cola 600 due to a “serious illness.” On May 20, while testing in a Chevrolet simulator in Concord, he became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital in Charlotte. People with knowledge of the case confirmed the facts under anonymity.
