360 Modena crash in Irvine!

Actually Chris only works for Oakley, he wasn't one of the founders.

He ended up spending only 14 days in the hostpital as opposed to 4-5 weeks as the doctors had anticipated. He has made huge strides since he got out of the hospital.

He has already gone back to work, back to the gym and even wake boarded a few weeks ago.

As for the full story about the situation leading up to the crash, Chris said he was travelling through the tunnel in the inside lane at about 130 (everyone else has said 140, but at those speeds I guess you can't really split hairs). As he was about to exit the tunnel, the rear end of the car twitched, feeling like it wanted to come around.

Ideally he would have liked to have allowed the car to drift to the outside lane, effectively increasing the radius of the turn. If he were able to do this he probably could have stayed in control. Traffic was light that day so he didn't feel as if he were putting anyone in danger.

When he came through the tunnel there happened to be a Ford Explorer or other SUV in the outside lane, right where he would have wanted to drift to the outside. For him, hitting the explorer probably would have resulted in less damage to Chris' car and body since the impact would've been on the passenger side of the car.

However, in order to avoid hitting the SUV, Chris pulled the steering wheel to the left a bit more and the back end came around, the car spun to the inside, hit the pole, flipped and landed right side up.

The whole time he said he was completely conscious and that he wasn't afraid until he kicked the door open, got out and realized his body was on fire. He said it was unlike any pain he'd ever felt.

The skin on his arms was melted. On his way to the hospital he remembers asking the paramedics if they could make the smell go away. The smell of burned flesh made him sick to his stomach.

Luckily he didn't break one bone and the doctors and nurses at the burn center were extremely good. I saw him the same day the crash happened. He looked like a mummy with all the bandages on. He was hooked up to tubes and sensors and could barely talk. The thing that was most relieving was that he didn't burn any part of his face except for a small scab on the upper part of his forehead.

I have some before and after pictures of the car.
Before:

After:

 

Thanks for all this info. This is the best "first hand" info we've had. I'm sure he's aware of this post and regardless of the twists this thread took, everyone was truly wishing for his speedy recovery. It sounds like that is what happened. Say hi from the F-chat So. CA gang!

 

Any news on how this guy's recovery is going...?

Also, and not to seem morbid or anything, if he has any other sports cars, does anyone know if he's driven any of them since...? i'm thinking along the lines of the old saying "get right back on the horse" (no pun intended)...

Someone please tell this guy we hope he gets better soon...

 

96infmsm3 -

Thanks for taking the time to update us on his condition. My brother works with a girl that knows Chris & I have seen those crazy "after" pictures before.

I'm glad he is doing well & getting back to his life.

Take Care,
Jerry

 

Why did this car crash catch on fire? I am guessing it caught fire almost immediately but I do not know this.

Is the 360 a fire trap in a crash?

 

I hope the accident has given him a better sense of judgement.

 

For your first question, I just answered it about 3 posts up from your most recent post. Ok, I'll just re-type it here: He's doing fine, he can't go in the sun for about a year, and he's been wakeboarding since his accident.

For the second question, he currently has a Silver Porsche GT3 and he drives it occasionally. Like all of you, I hope he has better judgement in that car. I don't really ask him how he drives in it but I hope its in a more sane manner than he used to.

Who knows though, for some speed is a drug, and like an cocaine addict that keeps using even after a stay in the hospital for an overdose, he might "use" again. I'm sure his crash has given him a new perspective on driving and that if he does speed he'll do it on a track. Heck, I'd let him drive my car ('96 Supercharged M3) on a track if it meant he'd drive safer on the toll road/streets.

Anyways, thanks to everyone who offered their words of support, Chris is lucky to be alive and lucky to have so many people wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

Also, for people who said he should track his car, not very many people who own Ferraris track them. OK, some extremely wealthy individuals who can afford/don't care if they get rock chips all over the hood or to wreck their car driving it on a track with other crazy drivers can afford such luxuries.

 

Sorry to rehash an old thread but a little reminder of what can happen never hurts. I saw Chris not too long ago and he is doing very very well, seeing him on the street you would have no idea he was in a life altering accident just over a year prior.

btw the burn marks are still very apparent on the 133, little reminder I get everyday on the way to work.