NY Driver George Schweigart III Showing Improvement After Being Seriously Injured

NY Driver George Schweigart III Showing Improvement After Being Seriously Injured  In Crate Sportsman Crash At Bridgeport

By LEN SAMMONS
George Schweigart III of Woodhull, N.Y., was showing improvement Wednesday morning after being seriously injured in a crash during the 602 Crate Sportsman B-Main on Saturday at Bridgeport Motorsports Park.

The 32-year-old was awake, off a ventilator and spoke for the first time, according to a Facebook post from his mother, Cathy. He is being treated at Cooper Medical Center in Camden, NJ.

“First words to us were ‘get me out of here’ !!!,” Cathy wrote. “Thank you GOD!!!!”

The latest update came a day after Schweigart gave a thumbs up to his family and briefly opened his eyes.
In a previous post, Cathy stated that George had two brain bleeds, but the doctors were not overly concerned. However, he does have three bruises on the brain, which she noted will affect him.
Cathy also mentioned that George has two broken ribs, a fracture under his eye, two fractures in his neck, and another in his lower back that did not affect his spine.
“Just the little things that give us a little more positivity that he will get through this,” said his mother in that Facebook post.
“Just want to walk in his room and see him awake, alert and asking how his car is and who won that race! It will come, thanks to all of you for the prayers! GOD answers them!”
His mother assured in her post that he is in a good place—Cooper’s Trauma Center—where she was impressed with the doctors.
She also expressed her amazement at the outpouring of well-wishes, support, and love they have received and asked everyone to continue praying for her son.
The incident began when Dave Milosar’s Sportsman car spun like a top after his left-rear hub broke while entering the first turn. Unable to avoid the spinning car, Schweigart made hard contact on the right side of his car.
Milosar’s car as a result of the spin and broken rear end had his front end in the air at the moment of impact. Causing extensive damage to the frame of Schweigart’s car. While, no official report is available the front bumper or some part of Milosar’s car appears to have went through the passenger window of Schweigart’s No. 12, reportedly striking him in the helmet.
As the track’s rescue team worked to free Schweigart from the car, tow trucks blocked the view of the fans. After he was loaded into the track’s ambulance, a local transport met them in the parking lot, where township police, a fire truck, and an EMT vehicle were waiting.
The transportation was then shifted to a helicopter, which later landed in the back pit area, and a water truck was moved to block the view of racers in that area.
Schweigart’s race car remained on the speedway until the state police began their investigation. It was later moved to the old backstretch pit area. Warren Alston of the New Jersey State Police Motorsports Civilian Advisory Committee investigated both cars involved in the incident. Milosar’s front bumper, which was new prior to the event, was noticeably bent from the impact, and the 19-year-old driver was shaken by the incident.
After a two-hour delay, racing resumed once the investigation was completed. Several drivers, shaken by the event, expressed a wish that the race had been canceled, but racing generally continues unless there is a fatality.
Members from several different local race teams parked near Schweigart in the pit area, and one from back home also competing from his area, helped get the trailer ready to travel and later assisted in loading the race car after the event.
Schweigart had planned an ambitious season, chasing both the Short Track Super Series South and North region events, racing weekly at Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, N.Y. on Fridays, and competing in 6-10 events at Woodhull Raceway.
After Port Royal’s STSS opener was rained out the week before, Schweigart came to Bridgeport to race on Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s series opener. Schweigart finished 10th in Outlaw Sportsman points last year and 13th in the STSS North Region standings.