The Panther

HOUSTON (AP)- Grammy-winning Tejano singer Emilio Navaira could die from a severe brain injury suffered when his tour bus slammed into traffic barrels on a Texas highway, his neurosurgeon said Monday.

"There is a chance he may not make it,'' said Dr. Alex Valadka, director of neurotrauma services at Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center.

Navaira was brought to the hospital after the pre-dawn accident Sunday in which six members of his band and entourage also were hurt. Valadka and his team operated for two hours to remove a blood clot that was putting pressure to the singer's brain.

One other band member remained hospitalized Monday, said Joe Casias, Navaira's agent since 1989.

Valadka said Navaira was in a coma when he arrived at the hospital in Houston, but the surgery went well. Navaira also had fractures to his back and other bruises, but the brain injury was the most serious, he said.

"This is not like you see on TV and the movies where people get hit in the head and people wake up and go home the next day,'' Valadka said. 'In the real world, it takes a long time. But we hope every day there will be a little bit of progress.''

Casias said police were investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the accident, which happened outside of Houston.

Navaira and his band, Rio, had performed at a Houston club Saturday night and were returning to the San Antonio area, where they live. Navaira and the band had been scheduled to head to California for tour dates later this week.

Navaira, who has been married twice, has five children ranging in age from 2 to 18.

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