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Grex Sports Item 62: Red Wing Players and Others Severly Injured in an Automobile Accident
Entered by srw on Sat Jun 14 06:05:58 UTC 1997:

There has been a tragic crash of a limousine in Detroit. 4 men including the
driver were injured. The three in the back were part of the Red Wing
organization.  Two were players.

This was on the late TV news, but now I have heard more details, although
there is still a lot of information missing. The most severly injured are in
critical condition with head injuries. They are a Russian Masseuse and
Vladimir Konstantinov. In the hospital (Beaumont, I think) also are the
driver, and Vyacheslav Fetisov, both in fair condition.

The nature of the head injury to Konstantinov is still unclear, but if he is
in critical condition it is potentially life-threatening. We will have to wait
and see. There is supposed to be a news conference at 8 AM, and I doubt that
more information will be available until then.

Ilitch and most of the players have gone to the hospital to be with them.
I think they need our prayers (or best wishes) tonight.

13 responses total.

#1 of 13 by general on Sat Jun 14 15:49:54 1997:

Talk aobut cutting your victory party short. <sigh> It makes me sick to hear
this. I really hope Vladdy is ok.

#2 of 13 by mwarner on Tue Jun 17 19:26:39 1997:

Is there any development in the conditions of Masseuse and Konstantinov?

#3 of 13 by general on Tue Jun 17 23:08:40 1997:

NOt sure agbout the masseuse. But Vlady has been responding via movements,
slight facila expressions to the voices of teamates and families, as well as
music from his native Russia and Queen's "We Are The Champions". These
responses are inconsistent however, and the doctor's do not expect any vast
deterioration OR improvement. They say it's evident that this will be a long
healing process.

#4 of 13 by mwarner on Wed Jun 18 01:31:09 1997:

I found the Det News web site and saw that for the first time
Konstantinov's injury has been described as "diffuse axonal brain injury",
which is caused by the brain twisting or shaking, and rebounding.  I
believe the Free Press described the injury in similar if not exact terms.
If this is the case then it is indeed a wait and see situation, with a
very guarded prognosis.  Mnatsakanov's injury is described as one caused
by an impact, and probably easier to rehabilitate from.  

  The team has asked for a certain amount of privacy which I am inclined
to respect even here. Tremendous public interest is unavoidable given the
extraordinary circumstances.  Given that family, teammates and doctors of
those injured wish to share certain information with us fans, I only hope
that somehow our collective concerns can lend some measure of suppport and
not add pain to what is a personal tragedy above all else.

#5 of 13 by omni on Wed Jun 18 03:45:14 1997:

  I am just praying and waiting. I will not write a fan card, or put something
on a shrine, which I think is really asinine. I believe prayers are the most
one can do when we're in this position. I was, and still am appalled at how
rabid the media was when the story first broke.

#6 of 13 by mwarner on Wed Jun 18 14:32:28 1997:

The amount of unsubstantiated garbage that was *almost gleefully* spread
by the television stations shows those news organizations for what they
are.  Valid journalism is dead in T.V.

#7 of 13 by mwarner on Wed Jun 18 14:44:47 1997:

There is a "Wings Forum" with e-mail from around the country at:

http://data.detnews.com:8081/wings/lettersindex.hbs


(I'm not pleased with the newspapers in Detroit, but generally have to
give them credit in this instance)

#8 of 13 by mwarner on Wed Jun 18 15:14:30 1997:

I started an item in the "disabilites" conf about coping with traumatic
brain injuries.  Item 16.

#9 of 13 by srw on Sun Jun 22 06:35:20 1997:

thanks, Mike. There certainly is a continuous outpouring of concern from
loving fans throughout the state. Recovering from this kind of injury is a
long road, and the way things stand, there are few guarantees.

We can only wait, and pray or hope for the best possible outcome in the
fullness of time.

#10 of 13 by hematite on Sat Jun 28 23:08:26 1997:

Anything new? (I just got back from Ital and can't read Italian newpapers
well enough to know if they had anything..) You'd think the limo company
would have checked out the driver closer..<sigh> Get well guys.

#11 of 13 by omni on Sun Jun 29 04:12:29 1997:

  You can check of the conditions of the wings from the Beaumont wed site,
http://www.beaumont.edu

#12 of 13 by srw on Fri Jul 4 19:21:30 1997:

They are improving. Out of comas, but progress is painstakingly slow.

#13 of 13 by srw on Sat Aug 2 04:25:20 1997:

I just heard that Igor Larianov reported that Konstantinov said hello to his
daughters when they visited. This is the first evidence I've heard that he
can talk. (I've heard them use the word "communicate" before, but this is a
bit more revealing, and good news.)

More on Larianov in another item.

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