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Investigators speak Daytona police say Earnhardt's lap belt was torn
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- The lap belt worn by Dale Earnhardt when he crashed on the final lap of the Daytona 500 was torn, a local police report said Friday. After the crash Feb. 18, NASCAR said a broken seat belt was discovered in the car and might have played a role in the death of the seven-time Winston Cup champion. Investigators told The News-Journal of Daytona Beach they examined Earnhardt's wrecked Chevrolet and its belt system on May 29 just outside Charlotte, N.C., where NASCAR transported the car for safe keeping while the probe continued. Detective Sgt. Steve Szabo said he found the original lap belt in two pieces with torn fibers. He said NASCAR president Mike Helton then used a pocket knife to cut another belt that was the same model, manufactured by Simpson Performance Products. Szabo examined both belts.
"The cut belt did not have any similarity to the belt ends that were involved in the crash," Szabo wrote in a report obtained by the newspaper. Szabo determined Earnhardt's belt had torn in the area where it is adjusted for tightness. NASCAR has never said a failed lap belt caused Earnhardt's death, but Daytona International Speedway physician Steve Bohannon speculated at a news conference Feb. 23 that the torn harness could have been a contributing factor. Bohannon has since backed away from that theory after an independent accident specialist's report said Earnhardt died when his head whipped violently forward after his car hit a wall going 150 mph. Also, an emergency worker on the scene has said Earnhardt's belt was intact after the crash. Simpson has maintained the belt didn't fail. He could not be reached for comment Friday. John Mills, an attorney for Earnhardt's widow, Teresa, would not comment on the findings when reached late Friday. "The report speaks for itself," Helton said.
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