Jason Priestley Exits Hospital

Mon., Aug. 26, 2002 2:30 PM PDT by Bridget Byrne

Looks like Jason Priestley's speeding his way toward recovery.

The Beverly Hills, 90210 star turned pro auto racer was released Saturday from Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he'd been treated for injuries resulting from a devastating head-on crash during a practice run for the Kentucky 100 on August 11.

Hospital spokeswoman Penny Johnson would not reveal where Priestley will continue rehabbing, a process that's expected to take several months.

While the 32-year-old Canadian-born actor, famous for his eight-year stint as 90210 heartthrob Brandon Walsh, has a long road ahead of him, it seems clear he's headed in the right direction.

His doctors expect nothing less. They have said Priestley should fully recover from the accident, which occurred when he slammed his racecar into the Kentucky Speedway wall at 180 mph.

Since being taken by helicopter to Methodist, the nation's top facility for speed-related accidents, Priestley has undergone a series of surgeries to repair a broken back, fractured feet, a lacerated nose and a bruised eye socket.

Despite a no-contest plea to a 1999 felony drunken-driving charge, Priestley is considered an experienced, professional driver.

He has competed on various race circuits for 11 years. At the time of his crash, he was ranked seventh in the Indy Racing League's Infiniti Pro Series. It's expected he'll return to racing once he has fully mended.