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TV star critical after jet-car crash
CRAIG BROWN
* Presenter Richard Hammond was in a critical condition in hospital last night
* He crashed during a high-speed stunt in a jet-powered car
* He was taken by air ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary
Key quote "He has brought an awful lot to the programme and his indefatigable energy, the fact that he tries absolutely anything once, may have been the reason that he has overstepped the mark a bit. " - Quentin Willson, former Top Gear presenter
Story in full RICHARD Hammond, a presenter on BBC's Top Gear motoring programme, was in a critical condition in hospital last night after a crash during a 300mph stunt in a jet-powered car.
Mr Hammond, 36, was injured while filming what was reportedly an attempt to break a land-speed record for the show, which is famous for its daredevil driving challenges.
According to witnesses, the stunt had begun "pretty well", with the car building up speed, but the vehicle careered off the runway at an RAF airfield in Yorkshire, ending partly embedded in the earth.
Colleagues last night described Mr Hammond as someone who "has no fear". Dave Ogden, who runs the private company Event Fire Services, said the crash had happened on the last "run" of the day. Mr Ogden was helping to provide emergency cover at the airfield when he witnessed 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 [the car] 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 rushed over and found the car upside down and "dug in" to the grass. Mr Ogden said he heard the presenter, who was unconscious, breathing before the emergency crews worked together to turn the car the right way up.
They then cut Mr Hammond free, placed him in a neck brace and on a stretcher before the air ambulance arrived. "He was regaining consciousness and said he had some lower back pain," said Mr Ogden. "But he was drifting in and out of consciousness a little bit."
Mr Hammond was flown to Leeds General Infirmary, which has a special neurological unit.
The car the presenter was driving was reported to be a vehicle called Vampire owned by the Prime Time Land Speed Team in which the outright British land-speed record of 300.3mph was set. It is 30ft long, powered by a Rolls-Royce jet engine, has a theoretical top speed of 370mph and can accelerate from nought to 272mph in six seconds.
Last night the BBC was not giving details of the accident, which happened at Elvington airfield near York just before 5:45pm. A spokeswoman said: "The focus of our attention is on Richard at this stage."
Quentin Willson, a former Top Gear presenter, last night described the accident as "a huge, huge tragedy".
Mr Wilson continued: "He is a wonderful, unique and distinctive Top Gear presenter.
"He has brought an awful lot to the programme and his indefatigable energy, the fact that he tries absolutely anything once, may have been the reason that he has overstepped the mark a bit.
"He is irreplaceable. He has turned Top Gear into a gang show with Jeremy and James and the three of them have wowed audiences all over the world and he is an international personality.
"But this [accident] underscores the danger of raising the game, as shows like Top Gear have. Richard has no fear and that is his most wonderful quality."
James May, who co-presents the popular show with Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson, was said to be devastated to learn that his "old mate" had been injured.
May's agent, Annie Sweetbaum, said: "James is absolutely devastated, he's heard the news, but doesn't know how bad he is.
"He's really shocked, his words to me tonight were 'He's such a good mate, I'm so upset'.
"He said as soon as he's allowed, he wants to go and see Richard."
Hammond, who was named in the top ten of television industry magazine Broadcast's "Hot 100" list of best TV talent, lives near Cheltenham with his wife, Mindy, and two young daughters, Isabella and Willow.
The family travelled to the hospital to be with the presenter last night after being informed by police of the accident at the airfield.
The presenter joined Top Gear in 2002. In addition to the motoring show, he has also appeared on other BBC shows, such as Should I Worry About....? and Time Commanders.
He has also presented Crufts and the quiz show Petrolheads as well ITV's eponymous Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show.
Fuelling risks?
CAR experts last night described the risks of the stunt Richard Hammond was trying to undertake.
Michael Harvey, editor of the Top Gear magazine, said "I've heard stories Richard was touching speeds closer to 300mph then 200mph, and clearly those kinds of speeds massively exaggerates the consequences of anything going wrong.
"This wasn't a high-performance car, this wasn't a road car, this was a rocket-powered dragster which bears absolutely no relation to the kind of cars which are the main fodder of the Top Gear programme."
He added: "Every single precaution will have been taken, but something clearly absolutely unaccounted for has gone wrong."
Top Gear has previously been criticised for encouraging speeding and damaging the environment.
The pressure group Transport 2000 said the show was "irresponsible, outdated television designed to give comfort to boy racers, 'petrolheads' and those from the 'get out of my way' school of driving."
However Mr Hammond has defended the programme, which last year won an Emmy, saying: "It is an entertaining show, for people interested in cars, that is driven by people who have been motoring journalists for many years."
CRAIG BROWN
* Presenter Richard Hammond was in a critical condition in hospital last night
* He crashed during a high-speed stunt in a jet-powered car
* He was taken by air ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary
Key quote "He has brought an awful lot to the programme and his indefatigable energy, the fact that he tries absolutely anything once, may have been the reason that he has overstepped the mark a bit. " - Quentin Willson, former Top Gear presenter
Story in full RICHARD Hammond, a presenter on BBC's Top Gear motoring programme, was in a critical condition in hospital last night after a crash during a 300mph stunt in a jet-powered car.
Mr Hammond, 36, was injured while filming what was reportedly an attempt to break a land-speed record for the show, which is famous for its daredevil driving challenges.
According to witnesses, the stunt had begun "pretty well", with the car building up speed, but the vehicle careered off the runway at an RAF airfield in Yorkshire, ending partly embedded in the earth.
Colleagues last night described Mr Hammond as someone who "has no fear". Dave Ogden, who runs the private company Event Fire Services, said the crash had happened on the last "run" of the day. Mr Ogden was helping to provide emergency cover at the airfield when he witnessed 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 [the car] 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 rushed over and found the car upside down and "dug in" to the grass. Mr Ogden said he heard the presenter, who was unconscious, breathing before the emergency crews worked together to turn the car the right way up.
They then cut Mr Hammond free, placed him in a neck brace and on a stretcher before the air ambulance arrived. "He was regaining consciousness and said he had some lower back pain," said Mr Ogden. "But he was drifting in and out of consciousness a little bit."
Mr Hammond was flown to Leeds General Infirmary, which has a special neurological unit.
The car the presenter was driving was reported to be a vehicle called Vampire owned by the Prime Time Land Speed Team in which the outright British land-speed record of 300.3mph was set. It is 30ft long, powered by a Rolls-Royce jet engine, has a theoretical top speed of 370mph and can accelerate from nought to 272mph in six seconds.
Last night the BBC was not giving details of the accident, which happened at Elvington airfield near York just before 5:45pm. A spokeswoman said: "The focus of our attention is on Richard at this stage."
Quentin Willson, a former Top Gear presenter, last night described the accident as "a huge, huge tragedy".
Mr Wilson continued: "He is a wonderful, unique and distinctive Top Gear presenter.
"He has brought an awful lot to the programme and his indefatigable energy, the fact that he tries absolutely anything once, may have been the reason that he has overstepped the mark a bit.
"He is irreplaceable. He has turned Top Gear into a gang show with Jeremy and James and the three of them have wowed audiences all over the world and he is an international personality.
"But this [accident] underscores the danger of raising the game, as shows like Top Gear have. Richard has no fear and that is his most wonderful quality."
James May, who co-presents the popular show with Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson, was said to be devastated to learn that his "old mate" had been injured.
May's agent, Annie Sweetbaum, said: "James is absolutely devastated, he's heard the news, but doesn't know how bad he is.
"He's really shocked, his words to me tonight were 'He's such a good mate, I'm so upset'.
"He said as soon as he's allowed, he wants to go and see Richard."
Hammond, who was named in the top ten of television industry magazine Broadcast's "Hot 100" list of best TV talent, lives near Cheltenham with his wife, Mindy, and two young daughters, Isabella and Willow.
The family travelled to the hospital to be with the presenter last night after being informed by police of the accident at the airfield.
The presenter joined Top Gear in 2002. In addition to the motoring show, he has also appeared on other BBC shows, such as Should I Worry About....? and Time Commanders.
He has also presented Crufts and the quiz show Petrolheads as well ITV's eponymous Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show.
Fuelling risks?
CAR experts last night described the risks of the stunt Richard Hammond was trying to undertake.
Michael Harvey, editor of the Top Gear magazine, said "I've heard stories Richard was touching speeds closer to 300mph then 200mph, and clearly those kinds of speeds massively exaggerates the consequences of anything going wrong.
"This wasn't a high-performance car, this wasn't a road car, this was a rocket-powered dragster which bears absolutely no relation to the kind of cars which are the main fodder of the Top Gear programme."
He added: "Every single precaution will have been taken, but something clearly absolutely unaccounted for has gone wrong."
Top Gear has previously been criticised for encouraging speeding and damaging the environment.
The pressure group Transport 2000 said the show was "irresponsible, outdated television designed to give comfort to boy racers, 'petrolheads' and those from the 'get out of my way' school of driving."
However Mr Hammond has defended the programme, which last year won an Emmy, saying: "It is an entertaining show, for people interested in cars, that is driven by people who have been motoring journalists for many years."
I don't know if you guys get or watch top gear but it is brilliant for petrol heads. Damn.
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