Nicky Hayden dies of injuries following accident
According to reports, former MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden has died following an auto accident that occurred last week. The 35-year-old was struck by a car while training on his bicycle on the Rimini coast in Italy last Wednesday. He was transported to a local hospital with head and chest injuries before later being transferred to the Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena. He had been in intensive care since the crash.
The hospital announced on Monday that Hayden had died as a result of severe cerebral damage and additional traumatic injuries. He had been in Italy since racing in the World Superbike Championship on May 14. Members of his family reportedly flew out from the United States to be with Hayden while he was being treated at the hospital.
The Kentucky native won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006, just three years after breaking into the premier ranks as a 21-year-old. He came out of nowhere and ended the five-year championship streak of Italian legend Valentino Rossi to claim the title. It would be his only MotoGP crown.
Hayden participated in MotoGP until 2015 before switching to Superbike full-time in 2016. He was ranked 13th in points this season following the last race in Imola earlier this month. Hayden finished fifth in the World Superbike Championship last season and won last year’s race in Malaysia. He was riding for the Red Bull Honda team.
Following the news of Hayden’s accident, Rossi issued a statement that described his rival as “one of the best friends I’ve ever had in the paddock.”