Acceleration driving|The Salakari Racing team had a serious accident on the way to the race venue last Wednesday.
Acceleration driver Ari Lapiolahti was seriously injured on Wednesday in a road accident in the United States.
Lapiolahti, driving for the Salakari Racing team, was on his way to the acceleration races on the US east coast in Virginia in the early Wednesday morning twilight, when the stable’s truck’s trailer attachment came loose due to a bump in the road. The cart was hanging on the safety chains.
Ari Lapiolahti, team driver Elmeri Salakariand drove a truck Hannes Köntti pulled over on the side of I-40 to reattach the trailer. Lapiolahti determined the stopping place to be dangerous and closed the lane with traffic control cones.
Soon, Köntti noticed an approaching truck that did not slow down or change lanes despite the traffic cones or flashing flashlight.
It was too late to warn the others.
“Hannes survived unharmed, I was hit by a trailer. The corner of the eye is black, there are scratches everywhere,” says Salakari, who was thrown into the ditch when he collided.
The two found an unconscious Lapiolahti at the accident site. Salakari, who received first aid training in the army, put a tourniquet on Lapiolahti’s leg, which had broken at the ankle.
Lapiolahti was rushed by ambulance to Oklahoma City University Hospital, where he has undergone numerous surgeries.
Below is the local news channel KOCO’s news about the accident.
To the same at the time in Finland Lapiolahti’s wife Laura Lapiolahti and big sister Pirve Magpie received information from the United States.
“It was really terrible,” says the sensitized Magpie.
“In the beginning, nothing was known that Ari was even alive.”
Harakka and Laura Lapiolahti flew to Oklahoma the fastest, arriving at the hospital on Saturday.
“Countless surgeries have been performed. We don’t know exactly how many, and surgeries are still coming,” says Harakka.
“We are really grateful that Ari is alive. Nothing else matters now.”
Lapiolahti got out of the intensive care unit on Sunday and is no longer in danger.
Magpie describes the hospital treatment as first class. According to the big sister, Lapiolahti herself has also been satisfied with the treatment she received.
“Ari himself didn’t remember anything about the accident when he woke up,” says Harakka.
“Nurses were immediately there to tell about the situation. Always before and after the surgery, it is clearly explained what will happen.”
First class however, hospitalization has its price. Especially in the US.
Lapiolahti was established for hospital expenses Gofundme a collection to which almost 40,000 dollars, i.e. around 37,000 euros, have already been donated. According to relatives, more is needed.
Magpie says that the sports community of acceleration competitions is like one and the same family. In addition to donations, contestants have also visited Lapiolahti in the hospital, where he will be until he is able to fly back to Finland.
Also The Salakari Racing team plans to return to Finland soon. Although the Virginia races were missed due to the accident, two more races have been marked on the calendar this year.
The team will return to the United States in August to compete at the world’s highest series level of acceleration motorcycling. The goal is to become the first non-American in history to win the NHRA Top Fuel Motorcycle class championship.
#Acceleration #driving #Finn #Ari #Lapiolahti #involved #lifethreatening #traffic #accident #USA #hospital #facing #huge #bill
