“The devil tried stealing my heart”: NASCAR driver Chris Hacker heads back home after terrible accident leading up to Daytona weekend

Part-time NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series driver Chris Hacker has been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment for the injuries he sustained in a road accident on Valentine's Day (February 14) ahead of the Daytona weekend.

Hacker was heading to the season opener at Daytona International Speedway when the incident occurred. While traveling in his Ford Mustang, a semi-truck crossed the center line, resulting in a head-on collision. The impact caused various injuries to Hacker, rendering him unconscious.

The 24-year-old was immediately transported to the Prisma Health Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina, where he underwent emergency surgery. A CT scan revealed many internal injuries, necessitating immediate medical attention and prolonging his hospital stay.

Chris Hacker took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce his release from the hospital on Wednesday, February 21. The NASCAR driver joked about the ordeal, suggesting that despite the devil's attempt to steal his heart on Valentine's Day, he was already a 'dead man walking'.

"The devil tried stealing my heart on Valentine’s Day but he must have forgotten I was already a dead man walkin’... Time to head back home," the caption read.

According to Nathan Blasdell, Hacker suffered multiple thoracic fractures, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung, internal bleeding, a lacerated kidney, and a lacerated adrenal gland.

Blasdell, who had been regularly sharing updates on Hacker's progress, stated that the 24-year-old had made tremendous progress over the last few days and was released earlier than expected. He wrote on X:

"Chris is officially heading home!! He’s made tremendous progress over the last few days and was able to be released sooner than expected...God is good man."

The Noblesville, Indiana native has a long road to recovery ahead of him before he is back racing in the Xfinity or the Truck Series.

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Exploring Chris Hacker's tumultuous NASCAR career and off-track life

Chris Hacker is a part-time driver of the #30 Toyota for On Point Motorsports and the #02 Chevy for Young's Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series with four appearances in the Xfinity Series.

Hacker is also the first NASCAR driver who was born with Brachial Plexus injury, a nerve damage that weakens and limits the movement of the left arm.

The 24-year-old was charged with DWI, in Hamilton County, Indiana in June of 2017 along with four related misdemeanors. After a plea bargain, he received a year of probation and was later placed under house arrest for 180 days for self-reported probation violations.

In August last year, Chris Hacker was again arrested and charged with a DWI offense in Huntersville, North Carolina, with additional charges of speeding and reckless driving. After serving a two-month-long ban, he was reinstated by NASCAR after completing the Road to Recovery program.

Hacker has made four starts in the Xfinity Series and 15 starts in the Truck Series with a best result of 14th and 12th in the respective National series.