Briscoe Thankful for Minor Injuries
Ryan Briscoe was thankful for the HANS neck device and the safety features on his car for allowing him to walk away with minor injuries from a dramatic accident in Sunday's Indy 300 race at the Chicagoland Speedway
The incident occurred when Briscoe made contact with Alex Barron, sending the Australian's car airborne and against the retaining fence above the SAFER barrier.
Briscoe sustained a concussion, two broken collarbones, a bruised lung and contusions to his legs and arms in the incident.
He was airlifted to hospital under the supervision of Senior Medical Representative Dr. Jason Linder and was listed in good condition, but he remained overnight for observation and in-depth examinations.
"I remember the initial contact with Alex Barron," Briscoe said, "and I thought that we might just get away with not hitting the wall, but suddenly I was airborne and the rest is a little fuzzy.
"I was really happy to see the safety crew guys so quickly and they took great care of me, even reminding me to give the crowd a quick wave to let them know I was okay.
"The HANS device and the safety features on the car did what they were designed to do, and I credit them for helping me walk away from the accident relatively unscathed.
"I was happy to hear that Alex and Kosuke (Matsuura) were okay as well. I haven't seen a replay of the accident yet but I hear it was pretty spectacular. It's been a difficult and disappointing weekend but I'm doing just fine."
Briscoe will later be transported to Indianapolis' Methodist Hospital under the care of Indy Racing League medical staff, and will have further evaluation and treatment supervised by Dr. Terry Trammell and Dr. Kevin Sheid.
Briscoe will undergo more extensive examinations and may remain in hospital under observation for the next few days as a precaution.
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