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Kyle Busch on April 11, 2026
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NEED TO KNOW
- Kyle Busch's death certificate revealed the NASCAR driver had been feeling sick for "weeks" before his death on May 21
- According to the certificate, obtained by PEOPLE, Busch endured several illnesses that led to his sudden death at 41
- Busch's sepsis progressed into disseminated intravascular coagulation, which led to hemorrhagic shock, per the certificate
Kyle Busch had been battling illnesses for "weeks" before his death at 41, according to his death certificate obtained by PEOPLE.
The NASCAR icon died 24 hours after being rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Charlotte, N.C., on May 21 when his sinus infection progressed into severe bilateral pneumonia and sepsis, the certificate, released on Wednesday, May 27, shows.
Busch had bacterial pneumonia "of an undetermined etiology" for "days to weeks" before his death. The pneumonia then progressed to sepsis, and within hours caused disseminated intravascular coagulation, which is when small blood clots form in the bloodstream and block flow to organs, per Cleveland Clinic.
The disseminated intravascular coagulation then sent Busch into hemorrhagic shock, which occurs when the heart cannot get enough blood to function, according to the National Institutes of Health, and caused his death.
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Kyle Busch and his family on Feb. 21, 2026
Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty
Us Weekly was first to report the contents of the death certificate.
On May 20, Busch was coughing up blood and lying on the floor of a bathroom after he passed out while practicing on a racing simulator when an ambulance was called on his behalf, according to audio from a 911 call obtained by PEOPLE.
"I've got an individual that's [got] shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he's going to pass out, and he's producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood,” the caller told emergency responders around 5:30 p.m time. “He is awake. He's awake on the bathroom floor right now.”
Busch had been scheduled to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Concord, N.C., on Friday, May 22, and in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 24, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After finishing a race on May 10 at Watkins Glen International, he was heard over the radio asking his team to have a doctor ready to meet him at his bus because he was going to "need a shot."
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Kyle Busch on April 10, 2026
Credit: Jonathan Bachman/Getty
During the television broadcast, it was said that Busch was struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the "intense G-forces and elevation changes" at the course, according to the Associated Press.
Less than two weeks later, Busch died, leaving behind his wife, Samantha Busch, and their two children: son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4.
Busch's family issued a statement to ESPN explaining the driver's cause of death on May 23. "The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications. The family asks for continued understanding and privacy during this difficult time," the statement concluded.
Read the original article on People
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