New information about Kyle Busch’s unexpected death reveals a horrifying picture of how rapidly his health declined prior to his death last week at the age of 41 on May 23.
Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, had bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks,” which triggered a terrifying “chain of events” that led to his passing away, according to his death certificate.
Kyle Busch had reportedly been sick for at least two weeks, as he radioed for a doctor during the Cup Series race in Watkins Glen on May 10. Despite the illness, he competed the following week at Dover Motor Speedway in Delaware during the Cup Series All-Star Race weekend and won the Craftsman Truck Series race on May 15.
According to the death certificate obtained by Us Weekly, sepsis developed from the bacterial pneumonia approximately one day prior to his death. The sepsis triggered disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), an abnormal clotting in the bloodstream that can stop blood flow to organs. Hemorrhagic shock caused by severe internal bleeding came next.
911 call audio revealed Kyle Busch was coughing up blood
Before being admitted to the hospital, Kyle Busch was reportedly found unresponsive in a race simulator.
“I’ve got an individual that’s, uh, shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is, uh, producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,” a 911 caller said in audio obtained by TMZ, adding, “He is awake. He’s awake. He’s on the bathroom floor right now.”
The death certificate aligns with the statement from Kyle Busch’s family following his death, which reported that “severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications.”
The medical examiner said Kyle Busch likely had sepsis for one day, and the hemorrhagic shock and DIC persisted for several hours.
According to his death certificate, Kyle Busch was cremated in Mooresville, North Carolina.