After examining footage from Michael Schumacher's helmet cam, French investigators said Wednesday that his speed and skis do not appear to have been a factor in the accident that left the former Formula One racer in a medically induced coma for 10 days.
Schumacher suffered severe head trauma when he fell and hit his head on a rock at a French resort in Meribel on Dec. 29. He was transferred to a clinic in Grenoble, where is still in a medically induced coma after two operations. Doctors say his condition is critical but stable.
[seealso story="2013/12/31/michael-schumachers-operation"]
Speaking at a news conference in Albertville, prosecutor Patrick Quincy said the investigation team has yet to transcribe the film from Schumacher's helmet cam "image by image." He said he could not estimate Schumacher's speed at the time of accident but claims it was "not an important element of the investigation".
Schumacher went off-piste deliberately, hitting a rock with one of his skis, which caused him to fall and hit his head, Quincy said. He was found unconscious 30 feet off-track.
Schumacher won a record seven Formula One championship and 91 races. He broke his leg at the Silverstone race course in 1999 and suffered neck and spine injuries after a motorcycling accident in February 2009 in Spain. He retired from racing in 2012.
[wp_scm_comment]