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Nov 13
'06
Top Gear’s Richard Hammond is driving again

Richard Hammond
Almost two months ago BBC car show Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond suffered a serious injury in a risky car stunt gone wrong. Hammond was airlifted to hospital after a high speed crash in a souped up jet car. Critics claimed that Hammond was not properly trained to drive the car, which was going 288 mph when it crashed, and that only a jet pilot with split second reflexes should have been behind the wheel.

The beloved presenter has fully recovered from what was initially thought to be permanent brain injury, and has even passed extensive testing required to drive again!

ECSTATIC Richard Hammond got back behind the wheel of a car yesterday for the first time since his horror crash and said: “I will remember this day for the rest of my life”.

He took his wife Mindy for a spin in his Morgan sports car after being given the go-ahead by doctors to drive again.

It was less than two months since the Mirror columnist and Top Gear presenter suffered a serious brain injury in the 288mph jet car smash as he filmed a stunt for the show.

After yesterday’s drive Richard said: “Now I feel more like me.

“As I got into the driving seat it felt like I was back where I belonged.

“It was wonderful to be away from everything, being able to tootle around the lanes in the foothills of the Malverns in Gloucestershire on a sunny Sunday afternoon.”

Richard, 36, nicknamed the Hamster by Top Gear sidekicks Jeremy Clarkson and James May, added: “During the last two months there have a number of moments I will never forget and this is one of them.

“I have really missed driving and the freedom that comes with it. I didn’t realise how much until today. Mindy was a bit damp-eyed. She has been my driver for the last few weeks and I have been dependent on her. Now I’m looking forward to taking her out for a drive and a nice lunch this week.”

Richard had to pass two hours of complicated mental reasoning, memory and problem-solving tests before he won back his driving licence.

He said: “It felt like passing my test again. Mindy was delighted.

“Of course, it means I can get back to work but it means so much personally as well.”

Top Gear will start shooting for a delayed new season in January, and it is thought that they will tone down their thrill-seeking antics.

Here’s a news segment about Richard’s crash. The title suggest that the crash is included, but it’s not:

Posted in Accidents, Photos, Richard Hammond, Television

Written by Celebitchy         2 Comments »
Sep 21
'06
Top Gear’s Richard Hammond seriously injured in crash


BBC’s “Top Gear” presenter, cutie Richard Hammond, was injured in a car crash while trying to break the land speed record and had to be airlifted to hospital:

The 36-year-old presenter was taken by air ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary’s neurological unit.

A spokesman for the hospital said Mr Hammond was “stable”.

Mr Hammond had been driving a dragster-style car capable of reaching speeds of up to 300mph at the former RAF airfield in Elvington, near York.

The crash will be investigated by the Health and Safety Executive and the BBC.

The BBC said in a statement: “We are looking into all the factors of this accident and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage until we know the full situation.”

The dragster car he was driving was believed to have been travelling at about 300mph when it crashed.

Motoring expert Adam Rayner, of Fast Car magazine, said that at those speeds the driver would experience forces similar to those endured by fighter pilots.

“These cars accelerate at 6G - the force is breathtaking and stopping is a real difficulty,” he said.

Former firefighter Dave Ogden, who runs private firm Event Fire Services, was one of the first people at the scene of the crash.

He said: “We were down there with Top Gear who were filming him trying to break the British land speed record.

“On the previous run, the car had just gone over 300mph but I am not sure if it had broken the record.

“They had just done one more run and were planning to finish when it veered off to the right.

“One of the parachutes had deployed but it went on to the grass and spun over and over before coming to a rest about 100 yards from us.”

He said his crew and an ambulance that was already on the airfield rushed over and found the car upside down and “dug in” to the grass.

Mr Ogden said he felt for a pulse and heard Mr Hammond breathing before the emergency crews worked together to turn the car the right way up and then cut him free.

He added: “He was regaining consciousness at that point and said he had some lower back pain. But he was drifting in and out of consciousness a little bit.”

Top Gear is a weekly car show produced by the BBC that features unique stunts, high-end car reviews, and a three witty guys who never fail to make it highly-watchable and side-splittingly funny. It’s my husband’s favorite show, and I’m not into cars but I love it too. It’s hard to do the show justice in a review because it’s just that good.

It’s surprising that the team had Richard do the stunt, because they also have a professional racecar driver who always wears a helmet and it’s an ongoing joke that they don’t reveal his identity. They take a lot of risks on the show, but they seem to be calculated ones.

Here’s a video of Richard driving a Pagani Zonda on the show.

If you’ve never seen “Top Gear,” there are plenty of clips on YouTube. And here’s a Richard Hammond fan site, which is where we found the pictures.

Best wishes to Richard for a quick and complete recovery.


Posted in Accidents, Richard Hammond, Television, Video

Written by Celebitchy         5 Comments »
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