Kyle Busch was coughing up blood a day before his death, 911 call reveals

U.S. Kyle Busch was coughing up blood a day before his death, 911 call reveals May 22, 2026 / 3:30 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google NASCAR star Kyle Busch experienced shortness of breath, felt he was overheating and was coughing up blood the day before his death, according to a 911 call obtained Friday by CBS News.Busch died Thursday at age 41. No cause of death has been given, though his family said earlier he had been hospitalized with a "severe illness" three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina, on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch's team or family.During the emergency call placed late that afternoon from the General Motors training facility, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: "I've got an individual that's 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."Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and the caller told dispatch "He is awake," according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office.The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson, a former teammate of Busch, expressed shock and sadness at the sudden loss. "I'm kinda lost for words at this moment, but we're gonna miss you, buddy. Gone too soon to say the least," Johnson told "CBS Mornings" on Friday.He described Busch as "just that spirited, ruthless competitor on track. And I use ruthless in the best way possible. If you took an inch, he was going to take two. And there was an amount of respect on the track that you just showed him, as a resu...