Spanish sprinter Hortelano in 'good' condition after car crash

European 200-metre champion Bruno Hortelano is in "good" condition after undergoing aurgery on his right hand which suffered serious damage when the car he was travelling in was involved in a high-speed accident outside of Madrid.

Hortelano needed the surgery of his right hand, which according to emergency services was in a "catastrophic" condition after the car, driven by his cousin, collided with a lorry and overturned, shortly before 7 a.m. on Monday morning, reports Xinhua news agency.

Spanish newspaper ABC reports that Hortelano's cousin, who miraculously was uninjured in the crash, not only fell asleep at the wheel but he also gave positive in a test for alcohol.

The operation reconstructed Hortelano's middle three fingers, which had suffered fractures and ligament damage. However, the little finger of the Spanish 100m and 200m record holder suffered permanent damage and doctors at the 12 October Hospital in Madrid were unable to fully reconstruct it.

Hortelano's representative Alberto Armas explained to the press that, "the doctors are very happy with how the operation has gone", although he also confirmed "the little finger was the most badly affected".

"Now we need to see how everything evolves and to ensure the wound doesn't get infected," he said.

--IANS

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