ProRally: Prescott Carl Merrill Medial Report

Prescott Forest PRO Rally Round #8 - 1998 Michelin PRO Rally Championship Prescott, Arizona Friday, October 2, 1998 - 11:00 PM PDT

29. Six miles into stage #1, the Carl Merrill/Lance Smith Ford Escort Cosworth went off the road on a straight-away and hit a tree. Co- driver Lance Smith was slightly injured, and is having a chest x-ray taken at Yavapai Regional Medical Center in Prescott. It is not clear whether something happened to Carl Merrill to cause him to go off the road, or he suffered an injury as a result of the impact - we don't want to speculate - but he was not breathing when the car came to a stop.

Competitors Dave White, Tony Takaori, and Joe Noyes all administered emergency CPR treatment until the EMTs arrive, and a helicopter was called to bring Carl to Yavapai Regional Medical Center in Prescott. Takaori, who is a doctor in Japan, characterized Carl's pulse as "steady, but weak" as he was evacuated by the helicopter.

Barbara Merrill, Carl's wife, who was visiting their son in Scottsdale when contacted by the hospital, said the hospital reported to her that Carl was "critical, but stable" condition as of 10:00 PM Pacific. We probably won't get an update on his condition until the morning.

The competitors met with the organizer earlier in the evening for an update, and agreed to meet again on Saturday morning to decide the status of the balance of the rally.

Saturday, October 3, 1998 - 10:00 AM PDT

30. This statement was issued this morning from the Yavapai Regional Medical Center in Prescott:

Carl Merrill, from Ogunquit, Maine, died this morning, October 3, 1998, at 8:31 AM PST as the result of a cardiac event.

Arrangements are being made to bring Carl back to Maine.