Phil Hellmuth Car Accident in Rio Parking lot

[doublejoker]

As reported by Cardplayer.com

Phil Hellmuth Crashes Racecar at Rio
He Walks Away after Slamming into Base of Light Pole
Eleven-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth is OK after crashing an NASCAR-style racecar in the parking lot of the Rio while doing laps to promote UltimateBet.com.

Hellmuth, who was dressed in a black and yellow UltimateBet driving suit with his name stitched down the sides of his legs, slammed head-on into the concrete base of a light pole that was acting as a turning point.

In a video shot by RawVegas.com, Hellmuth is shown speeding through the parking lot in a black and yellow No. 11 car branded by UltimateBet. He takes a few shaky turns around the pole’s base and PT Cruiser before crashing head-on into the concrete cylinder. He hit it so solidly that it looked like he aimed for it.


He then walks to the front of the car, helmet in hand, and takes a look at the damaged front end. He is smiling.

Hellmuth is scheduled to start the main event today.

[ligastar]

Another staged event by rawvegas.com?

[ybother]

phils a goofball that catches cards, errr...crashes cars

[Eric H]

That's the hardest hit Phil's taken since Sam Grizzle decked him at Binion's!

[italianstang]

Phil Video (http://www.rawvegas.tv/watch.php?vID=555ae79aad35a05fa9f17ab0d0ca91)

He appears to drive directly in to the cement thing.

[phydaux]

Totally staged, like when Eddie Griffin wrecked a Ferrari just before the opening of his last movie.

Phil is alive and Dale Ernheart is dead. There is no God.

[Spook]

no one would be talking about this if he didn't crash.
and few people are talking about it when he did.

[Matt Savage]

Cardplayer Update

UltimateBet sent out a press release concerning the crash this morning. In it, it claims that he might not be able to play today. The entire release is as follows:

Phil Hellmuth Hurt In Racecar Crash; WSOP Performance In Jeopardy

The poker world is holding its breath today after a freak accident on the Las Vegas strip in which poker legend Phil Hellmuth lost control of his high-speed racecar.

Hellmuth had spent the day testing the 200 mph racecar in the Nevada desert. Upon approaching his hotel, the 11-time WSOP bracelet winner lost control of the vehicle and crashed head-on into a pole.

While the racecar was totaled, witnesses report that Hellmuth was conscious as he left the vehicle unscathed but visibly shaken. According to one onlooker, Hellmuth quipped, “Well, you can’t win every race.”

With the Main Event of the World Series just hours away, it’s still unknown whether the UltimateBet.net pro will recover in time to vie for the Main Event title and a 12th WSOP bracelet.

"I'd be amazed if he was able to play poker today after such a high-speed collision,” stated eyewitness Brian Balsbaugh of Poker Royalty. “He had severe whiplash.”

Hellmuth’s Main Event start time was scheduled for 12pm on Monday, July 9th. While friends are no doubt praying for a quick recovery, foes are likely relishing in his misfortune. After all, Hellmuth’s absence from the floor at the Rio Hotel & Casino definitely makes the playing field a lot less fierce.

I will be shocked if he is not there by 4pm

Matt

[Kevmath]

Maybe he can show up in a full body cast to play up his "injury".

[sekrah]

Definently staged..

[Silent A]

If that video showed Hellmuth get out of the car without an edit, I might just believe it.

Also, I don't know much about whiplash injuries, but after looking at the video it's really hard to make sense of the cardplayer update.

Hopefully, he'll arrive late (as usual) with a neck brace on.

[Dima2000123]

If it was staged, then Phil must be one heck of a stunt driver. It seems like he was trying to steer away from the pole rather desperately, but had his front tires locked, so the car just plowed straight on. The whole thing seems weird, though, so who knows?

[samjjones]

This will be the greatest athlete-overcoming-injury story since last week, when Takeru Kobayashi competed in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest with jaw arthritis.

[Dima2000123]

[ QUOTE ]
If that video showed Hellmuth get out of the car without an edit, I might just believe it.

Also, I don't know much about whiplash injuries, but after looking at the video it's really hard to make sense of the cardplayer update.

Hopefully, he'll arrive late (as usual) with a neck brace on.

[/ QUOTE ]
It can't be whiplash, whiplash is when you're rear ended and your head goes backwards. You can stretch your neck pretty badly in head-on crashes when your head goes forward, though, and you don't need to go very fast to injure yourself quite seriously. Some NASCAR crashes look really spectacular and yet drivers are unhurt, but you are very unlikely to see a NASCAR driver hit anything at such a bad angle like Hellmuth did.

[mtgordon]

Doesn't look like the video is playing in fast forward? The speed at which the camera pans/zooms seems too fast.

[Uglyowl]

[ QUOTE ]
This will be the greatest athlete-overcoming-injury story since last week, when Takeru Kobayashi competed in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest with jaw arthritis.

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome... I lol'd

[Dima2000123]

[ QUOTE ]
Doesn't look like the video is playing in fast forward? The speed at which the camera pans/zooms seems too fast.

[/ QUOTE ]
It doesn't look like it to me. If the video is fast forwarded, then the car's body roll looks inconsistent with perceived speed (it sways less than it should). The body roll seems natural to me.

[SossMan]

[ QUOTE ]
Doesn't look like the video is playing in fast forward? The speed at which the camera pans/zooms seems too fast.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol, yeah it does

[Dima2000123]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Doesn't look like the video is playing in fast forward? The speed at which the camera pans/zooms seems too fast.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol, yeah it does

[/ QUOTE ]
It depends entirely on how close the camera is to the car, and it doesn't look very quick to me. I would guess that Phil was going about 35 MPH tops before the crash, and about 15-20 MPH when he crashed. That's still enough to hurt you in a head on crash. If you look through the back window, you can see Phil flailing around like a rag doll when he hits the pole.

[dcviperboy]

Cardplayer updates are so retarted. While there might be no doubt he was in a NASCAR style race car, these cars are no where near street legal and I'm sure any cop who saw him would stop him (especially if they pull over 50 cent for nto having a liscence plate). So testing in the desert, I dont think so. Secondly, even though the cars can reach 200 mph, thats on a straight line with full trottle on the larget tracks (come off the corner at 160-170 and hit 200 before going back into a corner). ITs not like he hit the wall like #3. Cmon, sounds much worse than it could be.

[Dima2000123]

There is a lot of BS reported about this crash, so we have to be careful about drawing any conclusions. One article said that he hit the pole at 174 MPH and that airbags deployed. Uhm, yeah. If you hit at 174 MPH head on, then you will die no matter what car you're driving. Also, those cars don't have airbags.

[Silent A]

[ QUOTE ]
One article said that he hit the pole at 174 MPH and that airbags deployed ...those cars don't have airbags.

[/ QUOTE ]
The airbag that deployed after the crash was obviously Hellmuth.

[Maple Leafs]

"I CAN'T DODGE LAMP POSTS BABY!"

Ha ha... I'm so funny.

Wait, what? Somebody did? Oh, OK, never mind then. Disregard.

[Jourdain]

[ QUOTE ]
There is a lot of BS reported about this crash, so we have to be careful about drawing any conclusions. One article said that he hit the pole at 174 MPH and that airbags deployed. Uhm, yeah. If you hit at 174 MPH head on, then you will die no matter what car you're driving. Also, those cars don't have airbags.

[/ QUOTE ]

174? He hit the pole at a damn parking lot after a turn..

[UATrewqaz]

There is a thread on this in NVG, along with a link to a video of the crash.

There is a random concrete stump (for lack of a better word) in the middle of the area he's driving in, with a few cones around it, and he manages to plow 100% dead into it.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was a stunt or if it was just a legit screw up, the stump looks really in the way and you gotta wonder why it's there... maybe Hellmuth thought he was just gonna go through some cones.

[AJackson]

I have to go with staged. First there are insurance issues that would make it expensive for him to be driving and no good reason to have PH driving the car when he can't be identified. And why the cut in the tape between the crash and him being outside the car?

[ImGoodToGo]

it looks like he cuts the wheel to the left hard (the front wheels turn left before the crash), and he just skids into the pole, like another poster said- i don't think helmuth would stage something to make him look like an idiot/miserable driver

[Dima2000123]

[ QUOTE ]
I have to go with staged. First there are insurance issues that would make it expensive for him to be driving and no good reason to have PH driving the car when he can't be identified. And why the cut in the tape between the crash and him being outside the car?

[/ QUOTE ]
That's a good point. It is fishy that you don't seem him get out of the car.

[Terrapin Soup]

Amen.

Also, if he was going to stage something like this, I think he'd have gone to the trouble to do it on one of the other Day 1s. He was already going to get lots of attention today.

[grouchie]

[ QUOTE ]
Totally staged, like when Eddie Griffin wrecked a Ferrari just before the opening of his last movie.

Phil is alive and Dale Ernheart is dead. There is no God.

[/ QUOTE ]

he shouldn't have had that endorsement with firestone tires

[phydaux]

It wasn't the tires that got Dale Sr., it was an improperly employed belt that snapped under load.

If his belts were set up properly, he would have climbed out of that car and laughed.

[supair]

i dont understand why everyones isnt just lolin at phil making a [censored] of himself again, please dont let it be faked, this is genius.

[xxx]

He was cutting the wheels hard to avoid it at the end, the car just skidded into it.

[train.]

[hijack]

[ QUOTE ]
If you hit at 174 MPH head on, then you will die no matter what car you're driving.

[/ QUOTE ]

Robert Kubica Montreal F1 crash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dToRPP1iEJo&mode=related&search=)

skip to the 1:30 mark

Planet F1 article (http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2413025,00.html)

[J.A.K.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This will be the greatest athlete-overcoming-injury story since last week, when Takeru Kobayashi competed in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest with jaw arthritis.

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome... I lol'd

[/ QUOTE ]

[pig4bill]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Doesn't look like the video is playing in fast forward? The speed at which the camera pans/zooms seems too fast.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol, yeah it does

[/ QUOTE ]
It depends entirely on how close the camera is to the car, and it doesn't look very quick to me. I would guess that Phil was going about 35 MPH tops before the crash, and about 15-20 MPH when he crashed. That's still enough to hurt you in a head on crash. If you look through the back window, you can see Phil flailing around like a rag doll when he hits the pole.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was absolutely sped up, then slowed back down just before impact. I've seen, and taken, lots of race and autocross video.

As for 174 mph, more like 17.4 mph, and that's a bit high. He sure did mess up someone's car though.

[Bellagibro]

Why the hell would you want to smash into it on purpose?

[Artsemis]

[ QUOTE ]
Why the hell would you want to smash into it on purpose?

[/ QUOTE ]

Would we be talking about hellmuth and the UB car otherwise?

[pkrporcupine]

Phil is no longer the "Poker Brat", he is now the "Crash Test Dummy". He showed up today, late as always, in that retarded jump suit and played horribly. He blamed his poor playing on his accident but honestly, he is just a poor person all together. He Razzed the dealer to the point of tears almost and karma got him for it. KO'ed just before dinner break

[robracing]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
One article said that he hit the pole at 174 MPH and that airbags deployed ...those cars don't have airbags.

[/ QUOTE ]
The airbag that deployed after the crash was obviously Hellmuth.

[/ QUOTE ]

/images/graemlins/smile.gif LOL /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Dima2000123]

[ QUOTE ]
[hijack]

[ QUOTE ]
If you hit at 174 MPH head on, then you will die no matter what car you're driving.

[/ QUOTE ]

Robert Kubica Montreal F1 crash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dToRPP1iEJo&mode=related&search=)

skip to the 1:30 mark

Planet F1 article (http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2413025,00.html)

[/ QUOTE ]
Kubica didn't hit head on, the camera angle vastly exaggerates the angle of the impact. It was 30 degree impact at most, which is vastly better for the driver than true 90 degree head on hit. If you hit at 174 MPH head on into a concrete object, your brain will simply hit your skull with unsurvivable force, and no HANS device will save you.

[Luckyspikes]

Is there a chance to see PH in Nextel cup next year ? /images/graemlins/laugh.gif