Priestley Moved to Hospital for Drivers

Actor Jason Priestley was taken by helicopter to Indianapolis on Monday, a day after he was seriously injured in an auto racing accident at Kentucky Speedway.

Priestley, 32, a rookie open-wheel driver in the Infiniti Pro Series, crashed at nearly 180 mph during final practice for Sunday’s Kentucky 100.

He was being treated for a moderate concussion and a broken back, among other injuries. He can move his arms and legs and breathe on his own, authorities said.

He was in serious but stable condition Monday in the University of Kentucky Medical Center’s intensive care unit before he was transferred to Indianapolis’ Methodist Hospital, which is known for its treatment of injured race car drivers.

The accident in Sparta, Ky., involved two head-on crashes. Priestley’s Indy-style car struck the outside wall at 178 mph, then slid back across the track, coming to a stop after hitting the inside retaining wall.

Car owner Tom Kelley said having his driver back in Indianapolis, home base for Kelly Racing, will make it “easier for us to take care of him and his family. The reconstruction will be done in Indianapolis on the ankle and foot injuries, which are common. The good news is: [The car] absorbs a lot of shock. The bad news is: It mashes your feet--but it probably saves your life.”

Priestley, who starred as Brandon Walsh in the 1990s TV series “Beverly Hills 90210,” has homes in New York City and Los Angeles.

The all-oval Infiniti Pro Series is in its first season and was designed as a steppingstone to the Indy Racing League, which sanctions the Indianapolis 500 and other U.S. oval-track races.

Priestley has been driving in the Infiniti series since its debut in early July and had qualified second-fastest for Sunday’s race, at 178.122 mph. He lost control when his right rear tire went through some Oil Dry, a liquid-absorbing substance that had been applied to the track about 10 minutes earlier.

Drivers had been advised to avoid the spot, but Roger Bailey, the director of the series, said: “At those speeds, it’s sometimes hard to define where you are on the track. You’re only talking about a foot here or there.”

The Kentucky race was the fourth of seven races in the series, but Kelley said he would not enter a car in the final three races. Priestley had finished second, sixth and 13th in previous races.

“I’m more concerned with Jason’s recovery and well-being than running three more races at this point,” Kelley said. “I was so pleased with Jason’s performance. He finished second in his first race [at Kansas City], and qualified second at Kentucky when the conditions were tough. Then this freaky thing happens. It makes us appreciate when things go right.”