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Different view Dobler says re-enactment showed seat belt broke
By Mike Fish, CNNSI.com DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The paramedic who crawled into Dale Earnhardt's car after his fatal crash at the Daytona 500 is convinced of a seat-belt failure -- most likely upon the car's impact with the concrete wall -- after participating in a re-enactment of the crash scene. Patti Dobler said she reached her conclusion after meeting with experts retained by NASCAR in Hickory, N.C., for the re-enactment. Jason Brown, another paramedic, also participated, but the third member of the rescue team, Tommy Propst, followed his attorney's advice and refused to appear because NASCAR wouldn't allow the exercise to be videotaped. Propst, a firefighter, has been a thorn for NASCAR, insisting that Earnhardt's lap belt was not broken when he reached inside the car to free it.
"Before, I didn't know if the seat belt was broke," Dobler said. "I didn't know whether to believe Tommy or believe NASCAR. After that trip and seeing the actual seat belt and all the evidence, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that that seat belt broke. "I thought it had just broken in the middle. I just couldn't understand how the seat belt, as strong as it is, could break. But when it was explained to me how the belt broke, then it all made sense. It had to do with that swivel piece you put the seat belt through and pull through to the other side to adjust it, on the left hand side and it is down low, where the seat belt mounts to the floor. "When he hit the wall, the belt got pushed forward and got jammed up into that swivel thing, and then it just tore. There was no give. I held the belt in my hand. I looked at it. It was torn in half." The re-enactment consumed most of an afternoon, and was witnessed by NASCAR president Mike Helton and representatives of Richard Childress Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. Veteran driver Ken Schrader, the first to reach Earnhardt at the scene, participated in the exercise. His M&M racecar also was brought to the re-enactment, as was Earnhardt's car and a backup car that was used for the demonstration. Schrader declined to discuss the re-enactment, but has steadfastly supported NASCAR's investigation. "It was a very productive session for everyone in attendance," said John Griffin, NASCAR's managing director/communications. The day began with a video from the Daytona 500 crash. Safety experts said such a walk-through is typical, suggesting that it's more a case of setting the scene than an actual crash simulation. "We replayed the whole thing and everyone did their thing," Dobler said. "They said, 'Go around the car, look at the car, see if there is anything different. Ask any questions you need to ask. I'm standing by the [right side] looking in, and [NASCAR president] Mike Helton says 'Patti, how the heck did you ever get in that car?' I said, 'You know, Mike, I'm wondering that myself' because there is no room in there. But at time, you don't think. I just got in there. "What stood out for me [in North Carolina] was the actual car was there. After we did the re-enactment in a replica, we went and saw the actual car. I was inside the car [after the crash], so I never got to see the outside of it. It's just a mess. If it were a regular car on the street, he'd have been in back seat. The whole front end is just demolished."
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