Doctor: Examine Autopsy Photos

A Daytona International Speedway doctor thinks experts should be allowed to examine autopsy photos of Dale Earnhardt to answer questions about his death.

Steve Bohannon’s statement bolsters the position of the Orlando Sentinel and other Tribune newspapers, including The Times, which have been seeking access to the photos.

The newspapers want a head injury expert to examine the pictures, but with no intention of publishing them.

Bohannon, the track’s director of emergency medical services, said several theories about how Earnhardt died in a crash during last month’s Daytona 500 are equally plausible. Letting experts view the photos could help determine which is right, he said.

“I would certainly support that,” Bohannon said.

Earnhardt died of head injuries Feb. 18. He crashed into a wall on the race’s final turn at 180 mph, but there is a debate on how those injuries were caused.

Some say Earnhardt died when his head snapped forward, causing a fracture at the base of his skull. Three other NASCAR drivers died that way in the last year and some say such deaths could be cut dramatically if drivers were required to wear a head and neck brace.

But five days after Earnhardt’s death, NASCAR officials announced that his seat belt broke at impact.