In October 1981, Kimball was struck head-on by a drunken driver. Every bone in his face was fractured, his left leg broken, the ligaments in his knee torn, his liver was lacerated, he had a depressed skull fracture and his spleen had to be removed. When he returned to diving in the summer of 1982, he made the World Championships on platform and earned a bronze medal as well as the nickname "The Comeback Kid."
At the 1984 Summer Olympics, he overtook Li Kongzheng with his final dive to win the silver medal, placing behind fellow American Greg Louganis.
Vehicular homicide conviction
On August 1, 1988, two weeks before the U.S. Olympic diving trials, Kimball, drunk—with a BAC of .20 (twice the legal limit), he plowed his late model sports car into a crowd of teenagers while driving an estimated 70 to 90 miles per hour (110 to 140 km/h), killing two boys and severely injuring four others.[1][2][3][4] Despite the tragedy, Kimball took part in the diving trials, but failed to make the team.[4]
He subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide and was sentenced to 17 years in prison, followed by 15 years probation, and his driver license was permanently revoked.[3] He was released from prison on November 24, 1993, after serving less than five years.[4] As a part of his sentence, his driving privileges were “permanently” revoked by Judge Harry Coe, and were reinstated in 2018.[citation needed]
Later life
Kimball is a Kinetic Wellness teacher and diving coach for the swimming and diving teams at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.[5] As of 2008, he was married and has three children.
^ abSusan Taylor Martin (July 27, 2003). "Sincerely, Bruce D. Kimball". Tampa Bay Times (www.tampabay.com). Tampa, Florida: Time Publishing Company. Times Staff. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
