From a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:


MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
19TH JUNE 2003 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

YANAGAWA DETAINED IN HOSPITAL AFTER CATALUNYA CRASH

Fuchs Kawasaki wild card rider, Akira Yanagawa, will be detained in hospital in Spain until the weekend, after being diagnosed with two compressed vertebrae and ligament damage in his neck following his first lap crash in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Catalunya.

The Japanese rider, making his second wild card appearance of the season aboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR, was the unfortunate victim of a collision between his Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate, Andrew Pitt, and Proton Team KR rider, Jeremy McWilliams, just 30 seconds into Sunday’s race. While Pitt and McWilliams escaped injury in the incident, Yanagawa was transported to the local Granollers hospital after complaining of breathing difficulties on his arrival at the circuit medical centre. It was originally thought that he had fractured a number of ribs in the crash.

Following a thorough examination and a series of x-rays, doctors at the hospital confirmed that Yanagawa had sustained two compressed vertebrae and ligament damage to his neck in the first lap incident. The 32-year-old Fuchs Kawasaki rider will be detained in hospital until at least the weekend, but it is hoped that an immobilising corset currently being constructed by hospital staff will allow Yanagawa to fly home to Japan on Saturday.

A decision regarding Yanagawa’s planned wild card ride at this year’s British Grand Prix at Donington Park on July 13th will be made once the Fuchs Kawasaki rider has undergone a further medical examination on his return to his native Japan.



More, from a reader:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

Editor, Roadracingworld.com:

I read the press release regarding Yanagawa’s injuries sustained at the MotoGP race in Catalunya (6/19/03). I’m glad he is likely to survive with no permanent injuries.

However, Yanagawa’s acute, trackside treatment was distressing. As far as I could tell by watching SpeedTV, he was picked up, unconscious, and carried off the track as fast as possible. I saw him being bounced along, with his arm hanging off the stretcher. Hopefully, his fractures and ligament damage to his spine and neck were not aggravated by this added trauma.

This is no way to treat an unconscious trauma victim. It reminds me of the incident at Suzuka earlier this year in which a rider, Daijiro Kato, who had sustained extremely severe injuries to his cervical spine, was apparently thrown onto a stretcher and carried off. Despite considerable outcry, that incident has apparently failed to stimulate needed changes in acute trackside trauma care.

Thomas A. Warr, MD
Great Falls, Montana, USA

cc: ClinicaMobile.com


More, from another reader:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

via e-mail

I have just learned that the Kawasaki rider who was injured in last Sunday’s Motogp race may have broken his back. I previously wrote to you regarding the sorry spectacle of the manner in which Kato was carted off the field. While I only saw a glimpse on last Sunday’s Speed presentation of the race, it appeared to me that the Kawasaki rider was being carted off in much the same manner, with one of his hands dragging the ground while the persons carrying the stretcher ran along, bouncing him every which way.
My prior e-mail was in response to a paramedic who complained of Kato’s treatment.

I will repeat its substance: One does not need to be a trained paramedic, nurse or doctor but only needs some common sense to recognize that someone who has taken a very rough fall, appears to be somewhat immobile and may have suffered some serious bodily injury, DOES NOT need to be tossed on a stretcher and hauled away. The rider needs to be properly immobilized with a proper exam by the appropriately trained person ascertaining the injuries. If that means stopping the race, then so be it. All anyone has to do is watch the Superbowl on television where they stop the big game when some player suffers some minute injury to his finger to realize that stopping a race where there may have been a far more serious injury that may easily be aggravated by movement is only common sense. Failing to do so reduces racing to an image it does not need.

Have these people not learned anything from Kato’s tragic accident? How many more must suffer before some change is instituted?

Lee Veness
Irving Texas