Former Top Gear host injured in 'serious' crash

Image
AFP London
Last Updated : Jun 11 2017 | 12:42 AM IST
British TV presenter Richard Hammond was hurt today in a "serious crash" in Switzerland but escaped with "no serious injury", a spokesman for his car show said.
The former presenter of "Top Gear" -- the world's most- watched factual TV show -- suffered "a fracture to his knee", escaping from the electric car just before it burst into flames. He was airlifted to hospital in St Gallen in northeast Switzerland.
"Richard was conscious and talking, and climbed out of the car himself before the vehicle burst into flames," a spokesman for Amazon's "The Grand Tour programme" said.
Pictures posted online showed the charred wreck of the car flipped over and surrounded by flames. A video, apparently taken moments before the crash, showed it skidding onto a grass verge as it took a sharp turn.
Hammond had been completing the Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland in a Rimac Concept One, an electric super-car built in Croatia.
He was filming the second season of "The Grand Tour" for the Amazon Prime streaming site, the spokesman said.
His colleague Jeremy Clarkson tweeted: "It was the biggest crash I've ever seen and the most frightening but incredibly, and thankfully, Richard seems to be mostly ok."
Clarkson and Hammond used to present "Top Gear", a hugely popular and lucrative car show on the BBC from which Clarkson was sacked in 2015 for punching a producer.
Hammond suffered life-threatening head injuries while filming for "Top Gear" in 2006 when he crashed a jet-powered car at 288 miles (463 kilometres) per hour.
He was in a coma for two weeks. In March this year he assured fans he was fine after falling off a motorbike "many times" while filming for "The Grand Tour" in Mozambique.
"Top Gear" is the globe's most widely watched factual TV show, according to Guinness World Records, airing in some 200 territories around the world.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 11 2017 | 12:42 AM IST

Next Story