Rusty Wallace OK after major auto accident - touts Dodge Safety

FOX SPORTS | MOORESVILLE, N.C. - - Late Monday evening, former NASCAR champion and ESPN/ABC Sports lead auto racing analyst, Rusty Wallace and his wife, Patti, were involved in a major auto accident while returning from the weekend's IndyCar Series event and a taping of the NASCAR Angels television show in California. The 2006 Dodge Durango Wallace was driving was hit directly in the driver's door by another motorist who ran a stop sign. Miraculously, all parties involved survived unscathed and did not require medical treatment.

Noted Wallace, "I've been in a lot of crashes in my time, but that was one of the craziest things I think I've ever experienced. Patti and I were driving home from the airport, driving the speed limit, somewhere around 45 miles per hour I believe, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I got hit directly in my door. We really got knocked around in there and we're both really sore."

Despite the Wallace's involvement in the accident, their immediate concern afterwards was the well-being of the other party involved. "As soon as we came to a stop and realized what happened, our thoughts turned directly to the other driver, who miraculously, was uninjured as well." Wallace continued, "She was really shaken up and very apologetic. She claimed that somehow, she just didn't see the stop sign. Luckily for both of us, there was a police officer directly following me and another coming in the opposite direction, both of whom witnessed the entire thing," Wallace continued.

When all was said and done, Wallace credited one thing with the ability of himself and his wife to survive: the safety of the 2006 Dodge Durango. Said Wallace, "You hear car companies talk about safety a lot, but I can tell you that Patti and I are both really thankful for the research and development that Dodge puts into the safety of their vehicles." Wallace joked, "That felt like a crash at Talladega, but thankfully, everyone was able to walk away."