Top Gear's Richard Hammond in crash... [Archive]

MinionZombie

20-Sep-2006, 08:22 PM

Just heard on the news that Top Gear's presenter Hammond has been in a serious crash after driving a jet-powered car on an airfield for a feature on the new series of show. He got airlifted to Leeds hospital and he's apparently in critical condition, it's rumoured he was regaining consciousness when he arrived there, but bloody hell...

This car is/was capable of doing around 280mph, I think he was doing somewhere over 200mph at the time of the crash. Now, Top Gear is one of my favourite programmes, so I'm gutted to hear this news and I just hope he pulls through, the poor chap has a wife and kids.

It's especially bad news as in the last series he was in a crash when speeding a thin-wheel-based van around a corner and flipped it, but a jet-powered car is in a completely different league. Got my fingers crossed for him, he's been instrumental in this new incarnation of Top Gear...:(

MinionZombie

20-Sep-2006, 08:45 PM

Will do when I hear more, it happened only about 5 or 6 hours ago, so details are rather sketchy - Sky News is saying he was doing 280mph, but BBC News 24 is saying the car was only capable of 280mph - I'm hoping it was a lesser speed, the lesser speed the great chance of survival.

I'm rather gutted like I said before, Top Gear is such a great show and it's essentially all about those three particular guys. I dearly hope Hammond pulls through, it would be a tragic loss - obviously to his poor family - and to the show itself. I don't think Top Gear could continue without Hammond if the worst happened...

Fingers crossed for him everybody. :(

*edit*

He was airlifted to a hospital a little further away than other hospitals, and according the BBC News it's because this hospital is more specialised in what he needs help with - some serious head injuries. He was reportedly trapped inside the car after the crash also...:(

More updates:

The crash was in fact quite possibly at around 280mph (this is still being checked out, obviously the equipment on board needs to be salvaged), he started regaining consciousness when inside the car when being cut out. The accident was in York and he was flown all the way to Leeds for the neurosurgical expertise.

Last night he was in surgery and just before I went to bed it was reported he was still in a serious condition - but stable - same story this morning, saw some pictures of the runway with the crashed jet-powered drag car under a cover.

Jeremy Clarkson has just arrived at the hospital and has apparently talked to the press, will see that footage shortly I think.

It's good to hear Hammond is now stable, but obviously he's not out of the woods yet, it was one hell of a crash...

Link to more information:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21092006/325/top-gear-s-hammond-suffers-brain-injury-crash.html

Says he's got some injury to his brain - what that is, or what affect it could have (if any) we don't know, but earlier today it was reported by the hospital that there was no bleeding on the brain and that the doctor was "cautiously optimistic" for a full recovery.