Yesterday, during the MD250H warmup lap, there was a terrible accident that took the life of Peter Lenz.
I happened to be in the stands yesterday and I was one the closest spectators to the accident. I was on the end of the South Vista, at the far end of the west side, sitting on the bottom row. There were no reports at the track about his condition, so when I retured to my motel I found out via the internet that he had passed.
Today there are thousands of web sites with the story, but they all say the same thing, and some of what they say does not fit with what I saw, so I felt it was important to tell people what I saw.
I did not actually see Peter crash. I saw his bike sliding riderless and then saw him on the ground. He was in the front of a large group of motorcycles just exiting turn 4. He began to try to get off the track, but saw that there was too much traffic so he sat there with his back to the traffic and held up his hands waving so he could be seen. I was holding my breath hoping he would not get hit and most of the pack made it past him and it looked like everything was going to be fine. The problem was, as time went on each oncoming rider was coming closer and closer to him, which gave the guys further back less time to react. One bike dodged him, but there was no way for the bike behind him to swerve, and he hit Peter hard. It was the most terrible thing I have ever seen, and I knew immediately that he was severely injured.
The corner workers got to him almost instantly.
They really did not give him any type of treatment. They appeared to be talking to him, but I never saw Peter move. The announcers had no idea the crash had happened, and were wondering out loud why they were delaying the start. They also announced several times that Peter had not returned to the grid. We kept waiting and waiting for an ambulance to show up. A golf cart arrived, but it still appeared as if the officials had no idea there had been a crash. Finally, the corner workers decided to put Peter on a stretcher and transport him with the golf cart. As they were about to load the stretcher onto the golf cart, an ambulance finally showed up. I cannot say with any certainty how long it took for the ambulance to arrive, but I estimate about 10 minutes. The ambulance then left through the tunnel at the main gate to head for the hospital.
All the stories I have seen reported that CPR was started immediately, but I did not see any CPR until he was being loaded into the ambulance. I am not saying it would have made any difference, but I felt the ambulance delay was totally unacceptable.
I also question why he was transported in an ambulance. The MotoGP guys go out via helicopter any time they leave the track. This wreck was so severe it should have left no doubt in anybodys mind that the injuries would be life threatening. An ambulance ride through streets clogged with traffic for a MotoGP race seems like a very poor choice for somebody with life threatening injuries.
It appeared to me as if there was a severe lack of communication which lead to delays in getting medical treatment to the injured rider. It felt like we were the only people who knew anything had happened. The outcome could very well have been the same no matter how quick the response, but I believe these questions need to be answered. Hopefully they will be answered by the investigation.
RIP Peter.
Harmon
September 1, 2010 at 8:34 am
When a rider goes down corner workers are supposed to immediately wave yellow or red flags (depending on the crash details) to warn approaching riders. This did not happen when Peter went down. I would say that the accident involving the other rider may have been avoided if the corner workers would have been doing their primary job. I believe that the crash video will never be released- everybody will become aware of the corner workers negligence but in the end all the lawsuits in the world will never bring Peter back. RIP Peter
DeanW
September 1, 2010 at 7:28 pm
What a turn worker can, and can’t do, varies widely with organization.
As a turn worker for OMRRA (club where Peter Lenz got his start), if I was holding the yellow flag, I could hold it up (rider off track) or wave it (rider down) on my own authority. This may or may not be true for USGPRU, and may have been modified for the GP weekend to the MotoGP rules.
As a turn captain for OMRRA, I could red flag a race on my own authority. This is rare, if not unheard of, elsewhere; every other organization I know of, the decision to throw a red flag has to come from race control, with feedback from the crew on the ground. When out-of-town series came to Portland, we had to follow their rules, which was hard.
Of course, it’s been a decade since I’ve held a flag for OMRRA or anyone else, so my comments and a buck-fifty might not get you a cup of coffee…
TMC
September 3, 2010 at 10:53 am
I also saw most of this incident from the turn 1 grandstands. I am very sorry for the family, friends and young rider who could not avoid hitting Peter. What I saw was a small highside due to a cold tire exiting turn 4. Peter did the only thing he could do and that was to make himself seen and not try to run and dodge oncoming bikes. Unfortunately one of the last bikes to come through could not swerve in time. The corner workers were there immediately and it looked like they were trying to talk to Peter but I never saw any movement. The time for an ambulance to get to him seemed like forever but in actuality it was probably more like 3-5 minutes. Still it seemed like too long based on the severity of what just happened. Speaking to locals, they said that Indianapolis has a very high quality trauma hospital and that it’s actually faster for an ambulance to get there than waiting for a helicopter to airlift someone from the track. It’s always tough to see someones life get taken from them but this kid loved racing and if he had to go I believe there is no other way he would want it. Peter could have died a year earlier when his brakes failed and everything I heard all he wanted to do was get back on his bike. I got the privilege to meet Peter at the 09′ event at Indy. He was walking in the paddock wearing a giant brace on his leg with pins sticking out everywhere and the biggest smile i had seen all day. I noticed him and spoke with him for a second and wished him luck in his recovery. He seemed like a sweet kid with a burning passion in his eyes for everything that was around him in that paddock. Little 45 will forever be in the hearts and minds of everyone who ever knew him.
WDF
September 13, 2010 at 5:56 pm
As an EMT, I want to believe that the medical team did everything they could to save young Peter. I didn’t see the accident, but from reports that I’ve read and witnesses that I’ve spoke with, the response time for the ambulance seemed as if it took over ten minutes for it to get there, but in reality, it only took three to four minutes. The medical team at the raceway did everything they could do in that short time period, including response to turn 4, checking Peter’s ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation), attempting to get what vital signs they could, and putting him in a cervical collar and placing him on a spine board to prevent any further spinal injuries. By that time, an advanced life support ambulance was there. The paramedics intubated Peter which enables them to breath for him and at the same time was able to begin CPR. They then transported Peter to the Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis, one of the best trauma centers in the country. Enroute to the hospital, they continued CPR and treatment of his injuries. But it just wasn’t enough. As for the helicopter, I don’t know what the protocols are for that area, but where I am, if active CPR is being administered, none of the medical helicopters around here will transport. If the patient goes into cardiac arrest in the helicopter, then they will administer CPR, but if CPR is in progress when the helicopter gets there, then the patient will have to go by ambulance. The only thing that I can suggest that could have given Peter any better of care is if the speedway had an advanced life support ambulance on standby there at the speedway during the event.
Godspeed, Peter. You are an inspiration for us all. You have changed my life for the better. You will live forever in our hearts. Forever 45.
Tank
September 13, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Thanks for a very informative comment!
I am not implying that Peter could have been saved with better medical care. I do think the ambulance should have been on the scene much faster than it was.
Is an “advanced life support” ambulance different from a regular ambulance? High school football games keep an ambulance on standby – i can’t imagine why the Indianapolis Motor Speedway could not have several on standby for a major motorsports event. I am working on getting an accurate figure for how long it took for the ambulance to arrive and I am quite certain the accurate, proven period of time will be nearly 10 minutes.
It is entirely possible that an ambulance may be a faster route to the hospital than a helicopter. The hospital is quite close to the speedway and I have no idea how long it takes to get a helicopter loaded uop and to the hospital with a patient.
WDF
September 14, 2010 at 1:25 am
I live in Illinois and in Illinois there are three different levels of emergency medical technicians as well ambulances (I’m sure Indiana is similar). There are EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic.
EMT-Basic is the lowest level of certification one can get to work on an ambulance. They have to receive at least 120 hours of training before they can get their licenses. A basic can administer some medications such as Oxygen, Aspirin, Oral Glucose, and Epinephrine using an Epi-Pen. They can also care for traumatic injuries such as fractures and spinal injuries. They can insert oral and nasal airways if needed and in some system’s protocols, they can insert a “Compitube” which is like a form of intubation and ventilate him/her which means breathe for them. They can also perform bleeding control and CPR and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Basics run on a “Basic Life Support Ambulance (BLS Ambulance)”. In most cases around my area, these are the ambulances that are on standby at different events.
Intermediates and Paramedics have to complete anywhere from 800 to 1,800 hours of training before they can get their licenses. They can perform all of the tasks listed above as well as starting IVs and administering a number of medications through intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) for a wide range of medical conditions. They can also monitor and interpreted cardiac rhythms and in the case of a cardiac arrest, they can defibrillate the patient based on their cardiac rhythm and they can also intubate the patient and ventilate them. The only difference between an intermediate and paramedic in my EMS System in Illinois is that a paramedic can administer a few more medications during a cardiac arrest than an intermediate can. Intermediates run on an “Intermediate Life Support Ambulance (ILS Ambulance)” and a Paramedic run on an “Advanced Life Support Ambulance (ALS Ambulance)”. ALS is the highest form of pre-hospital care you can receive.
If it did take 10 minutes for the ambulance to respond, I’m sure the crew tried to get there as fast as they could. According to the website of the ambulance service that transported Peter, they have ALS ambulances on standby at every event at the raceway. They could have been on the other side of the track and they had to drive around the perimeter of the raceway to reach Peter. I don’t know. I’m curious to see what the actual numbers say. With an incident like this, it seems like help takes forever to get there. I’ve been in a similar situation some years ago. It only took the ambulance a few minutes to get there, but while sitting in the stands of that basketball game and seeing that boy laying on the floor bleeding to death, it seemed like it took forever for them to get there and to get him loaded into the ambulance. Whatever the result is, I can only hope that no one is at fault and that incidents like this can somehow be prevented in the future.
Tank
September 14, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Once again, i want to make it clear that I have no doubt that everyone did all they could, and they did it as fast as they could.
From my perspective it did seem that the biggest problem might have been a problem of communication, but I have no idea if there was a communication issue.
Thanks again for your comments!
TMWD
September 28, 2010 at 1:06 pm
I have found something. What might bring more enlightenment. Peter was allegedly killed by cervical dislocation. As the fastest ambulance or helicopter would have brought nothing. Does anyone know more about it. Whether it was wircklich cause of the accident. Has he gone back in?
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41937
David
November 1, 2010 at 5:28 am
CPR was performed on Peter prior to the ambulance getting there. Peter was also intubated with a endotracheal tube to breath for him. This was also done prior to being loaded to the ambulance. As far as ground transport verses medivac, the streets were blocked off and a escort was given by law enforcement outside the track. The hospital is just a few minutes away on the same street. It was a tragic accident and my prayers are with his family and the young boy who hit him. It boils down to; when the Lord decides it is time for you, it wouldn’t have mattered if he was on the trauma bed at the hospital. God has his plans and we can not change them.
Witness
February 27, 2011 at 2:25 am
I must have been sitting right above the guy who wrote this article. I grew up within walking distance of IMS, and have been to every race held there since 1981. I’m extremely familiar with the track, and how things get handled.
He’s correct in saying that corner workers got to Peter immediately. I can tell you that I was taking photos when the crash happened, and I believe 100% that he was killed on impact. After he was hit, he never moved. Not a twitch, not a breath was seen. Anyone who has watched a downed rider knows that their racing leathers fit tight enough that you can see them breathing. I’m certain he had a basilar skull fracture, or something extremely similar. (If you don’t know what that is… think of it as “unplugging the skull from the spine.” It’s pretty much an instant death in most cases. More on that in a moment)
Based on the timestamps from my photos, a minimum of 4 minutes went by before anyone started trying to physically help Peter (CPR, etc), but based on the evidence left on the racetrack, chest compressions probably did more harm than good (if you can harm a dead man). A “medical cart” (golf cart style emergency vehicle) was there quickly, but it took about 8 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. Peter’s injuries seemed to be severe enough that the initial responders didn’t know what to do for him. One medical worker eventually arrived (likely a doctor, based on his clothing), who dropped to his knees and started giving chest compressions as well as other orders (neck stabilization, etc). The ambulance arrived shortly after that. Once the ambulance was there, it was a pretty quick “load and go” scenario.
Sometimes crashes simply cause severe enough injuries that no amount of help at the scene is going to save you. This was one of those situations.
I also have a friend who works in the Methodist Hospital E.R., and without telling me specifics, they pretty much concurred with what I’ve said above. I also provided photos taken that day to the E.R. staff, who (I presume) passed them along to the proper authorities. Since I was shooting photos when it happened, it made sense to offer these in an effort to help the investigation. I didn’t hear anything back, but I never expected to (nor did I ask).
Peter was taken out of the track by ambulance for a couple of reasons. The racetrack is so close to Methodist hospital that it is actually quicker to drive there than it is to wait for the helicopter to be fired up, etc. The place where the crash happened was literally yards from a driveway that has immediate access to the racetrack’s main gate. Once they did decide to “load and go,” this was easily the fastest way to have him in a Level 1 Trauma Center… not that it mattered, but they did their best in a winless situation.
In all honesty, I doubt that Peter knew what happened. He didn’t see the rider coming, and I can only guess that the injury was quick and severe enough that he didn’t suffer.
God bless Peter. He seemed like a great kid. He lived more in 13 years than I have in my lifetime… and that’s saying a lot.