Nathan Buckley's son speaks out after awful injuries in karting crash
Jett Buckley, the son of Collingwood legend Nathan, has spoken out to followers on social media after being injured in a nasty go-karting crash last weekend. The 15-year-old, an aspiring driver, was thrown from his kart and down an embankment during a practice session in Melbourne on Tuesday and taken to the Royal Children's hospital.
He was found to have a broken collarbone, as well as a torn kidney and liver, but has since been released from hospital. In perhaps typical fashion for an aspiring motorsports star, Jett said the accident would not stop him from getting back behind the wheel.
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“I’m home. I’m well and I’m on the road to recovery,” he said in an update on his Instagram page. “Like all sports, karting has its dangerous elements but we follow a set of strict protocols before every practice session and every race.
“It’s these protocols (including the safety gear I wear like a 2nd skin) that protected me and that will have me up and about in quick time. Upon reflection over the last 48 hours there is no doubt that I love this sport more than anything. I cannot wait to get back into my kart!”
Buckley, who played 280 games for the Magpies and won the 2003 Brownlow Medal, hasn't commented on the accident. Jett is mentored by former Australian Karting champion Brad Jenner.
Jett Buckley posts update after horror karting crash
In an earlier post following the crash, Jett described the incident in more detail, revealing that his kart had actually landed on top of him in a scary turn of events. He also expressed his thanks to the ambulance officers who had attended to him on the scene.
“To everyone that has reached out….I’m ok,” he wrote. "Yesterday at practice I had my brake line split and had a bad crash.
“I was thrown from the kart down an embankment landing on the tarmac with the kart landing on top of me. I have lacerated my kidney and liver. I have also snapped my clavicle.
“Thank you to the ambulance drivers Ben and Laine and everyone else that was on the scene. Thanks to all the nurses and doctors at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Spending a few days here for complete rest.”
Professional karts, like the $7000 bit of kit Jett was behind the wheel of, can easily exceed speeds of 100 k/ph. Karting is widely considered the gateway into further professional motorsports.
The likes of Australian motorsports greats like Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber got their starts in karting before graduating to cars and eventually Formula 1, as did Oscar Piastri. Piastri is set to make his F1 debut in 2023 for McLaren.
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