HOUSTON -- Emilio Navaira III, the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, was placed in a medically induced coma because of a severe brain injury received after a bus crash in Houston and may not survive, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.

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Slideshow: Emilio Injured In Bus Crash
Video: Fans Pray For Emilio's Recovery:
Daniella Guzman Reports

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Doctors at Memorial Hermann Hospital said Navaira remained in critical condition after brain surgery to remove a blood clot.

"He is still critically ill. There is a chance he may not make it. Everyone needs to understand that right up front. That's how bad this is. And the recovery will take a long time," said Dr. Alex Valadka with Memorial Hermann Hospital. "As I told his family, we're not even going day-by-day. We're going hour-by-hour."

Navaira, 45, will be kept in the coma for the next few days. Doctors are also using an experimental hypothermia treatment on him to cool his body and prevent his brain from swelling.

"Brain swelling is the biggest thing we're worried about at this point," the nuerosurgeon said. "I think it is a good sign (that) so far the pressures in his brain have not risen and have been controlled. The longer we can keep doing that the better it is for him."

Valadka said the death rate from such an injury is 30 to 35 percent.

Doctors hoped to begin raising his temperature Tuesday, done gradually over as much as 16 hours so as not to shock his system.

Navaira was driving his tour bus to San Antonio Sunday at 5 a.m. when the bus, which also carried his band, Rio, slammed into a concrete dividing wall on the West Loop northbound near the Southwest Freeway. He was ejected through the front windshield.

Navaira was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital by a Life Flight helicopter. Doctors said he was in a coma when he arrived and had a large blood clot in his brain, so he was immediately taken into surgery.

Doctors said they were able to successfully remove the clot.

Navaira was one of six people injured in the crash, said officials.

Navaira's brother, Raul Navaira, was one of those injured in the crash. He was discharged but remained at the hospital, awaiting the outcome of his brother's hospitalization.

"We're having a prayer meetings within ourselves. It's 150 percent strong for family to be with Emilio at the moment," said Joe Casias, Navaira's agent. "Thank you very much for your prayers and support. They are doing as best as they can. He's like a brother (to me)."

Casias said Navaira's wife, children, mother and other relatives were at the hospital. Navaira, who has been married twice, has five children ranging in age from 2 to 18.

When asked if this could be a career-ending injury, the doctor said it's too early to tell.

Bellaire police are investigating the accident. Blood samples were taken at the hospital, as is standard procedure. Results are not expected for a couple of weeks.

"I don't know if (Navaira) fell asleep, if he was intoxicated, if he missed his turn making a late turn," Bellaire Police Sgt. Daniel Kerr said.

"He loved driving that bus," Casias said. "He would drive it in and drive it out. It was ordinary for him."

However, police said Navaira was not licensed to drive the size of the tour bus he was operating.

Navaira, known as Emilio to his fans, and his band played at the Hullabaloo club Saturday.

He gained fame in Tejano circles after performing at the first Go Tejano Day at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo in 1990. The performance set a then-record of attendance with 51,072 people. He went on to play at Rodeo Houston in 1995 with Selena, as well as in 1997, 1999 and 2007.

Navaira is a San Antonio native who won a Grammy in 2003 for his album Acuerdate.

Navaira and Rio have released more than a dozen albums.

After Selena's death raised awareness of Tejano music, Navaira's first English album debuted at No. 13 on Billboard's country chart and sold more than 250,000 copies. A single from the album released in both English and Spanish hit the top 20 on both charts.

The following year, 1996, Selena posthumously and Navaira each won six Tejano Music Awards. In all, he's been honored with more than two dozen Tejano Music Awards.

Three vigils have been planned for the Houston area Monday night.

The Houston chapter of the American G.I. Forum will hold a candlelight vigil at the corner of Fannin Street and MacGregor Street, across from Memorial Hermann Hospital, at 7 p.m.

Also at 7 p.m., people will gather to pray a rosary at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, located at 514 Carlisle in Rosenberg.

In Magnolia, a prayer vigil will take place at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, located at 7539 Avenue K, at 6:30 p.m.

A vigil for Navaira was also planned for 7 p.m. at the Alamodome in San Antonio.