DAYTONA BEACH, Florida Nascar motor racing legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. was killed on Sunday in a dramatic crash in the final turn of the last lap of the 43rd Daytona 500. He was 49.

Earnhardt, a seven-time Nascar Winston Cup champion and known on the track as "The Intimidator", never regained consciousness after the high-speed collision. He was pronounced dead by trauma doctors with his wife Teresa at his bedside.

Going into turn four, Earnhardt's Chevrolet appeared to clip the dodge of Sterling Marlin and slewed sideways. The Pontiac of Ken Schrader slammed into his car, forcing both of them into the fourth turn wall at speeds of about 180mph (290kph).

"I don't know what happened -- all of a sudden we were all crashing," said Schrader, who escaped injury. "I guess someone got into Dale because Dale got into me and we went up. We hit pretty hard, and Dale hit harder," Schrader added.

Paramedics worked on Earnhardt as firefighters cut through the roof of the mangled car to haul him out and rush him to hospital.

Earnhardt's son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., 26, who finished second to Michael Waltrip in the race, immediately left the speedway to be by his father's hospital bedside. Waltrip's Chevrolet was owned by Earnhardt.

(Reuter)