Safe Speed Forums

BBC News Wednesday, 20 September 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nort ... 365676.stm

TV presenter critical after crash

Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond is in a critical condition in hospital after a crash in a jet-powered car while filming for the programme.

The presenter, 36, was taken by air ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary which has a special neurological unit.

A North Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesman said he was unconscious when they got to the scene and a hospital spokesman described him as "critical".

The BBC confirmed the presenter had been injured during a Top Gear shoot.

Inspector Mike Thompson, of North Yorkshire Police, said officers were dealing with the incident at Elvington airfield, a former RAF base, in North Yorkshire.

He said: "At 5.45pm this evening we received a report via the fire service of a male person trapped in what was described as an overturned jet car which had been driven on the airfield.

"The male occupant has received serious injuries and has been airlifted to hospital at Leeds."

The presenter was born in Birmingham, educated in Yorkshire and lives near Cheltenham.

In addition to presenting Top Gear for the BBC, he also fronted Brainiac on Sky One until recently.

Apparently he was going for the UK land speed record:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,, ... 66,00.html

Fingers crossed hoping that won't be his last stunt

Sounds bad. Keep fighting Hamster. We're wishing you well.

[edited because I am amazed to discover that there's no 'p' in 'Hamster'.]

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Hear here! I just woke up to this news in my email box and came in to see if it had been posted here.

I'm a huge fan of the program (as we probably all quietly are) and it wouldn't be the same without all three of them as May, Hammond and Clarkson bounce off each other perfectly.

Would it be appropriate to send a collective 'get well soon' message from SafeSpeed?!

Yes, best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

However, I can just imagine the anti-car/speed lobby saying "We told you so." and Top Gear being dropped by the BBC for politically correct reasons. I seem to remeber that, some time ago, a man was killed doing a stunt for Noel Edmonds (and look what happened to him).

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Saw it on the news last night.

get well soon Richard.

Typical sensationalist reporting (and this was from the BBC), making a big deal of him being taken to Leeds and not to a closer hospital when the fact is Leeds is only seconds further away than York and much better equipped. In fact I don't think York can take the air ambulance whereas Leeds has a helipad on the roof.

I was shocked this morning when I heard but at least I also had the news that he appeared to be making progress.

The civil engeering household is rooting for him.

it is worring, cos I liked the hamster.

GET WELL SOON

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

It would be crass and insensitive (although that has never stopped them in the past) for the PC lobby to make capital out of this incident. I hope to God that Richard recovers fully from his injuries, and I believe he would be outraged at the suggestion that the program should be 'toned down' or even taken off the air because of this.

I couldn't believe the news this morning when I heard it... I really like hammond!

I hope he makes a full recovery and of course, thoughts go out to his young family.

(Shame it wasn't Clarkson )

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

From the BBC website



These twats never miss an opportunity do they. They will be calling for speed cameras on the airfield next. What the hell has a crash in a 300mph dragster got to do with road safety.

Get well soon Hamster.

a quick look at some other fora will confirm that this is sadly the case.

Because of course, making a landspeed record attempt in a jet propelled car is SO comparable to normal everyday driving...

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

for those that would like to a page on just giving has been set up so people can support Yorkshire Air Ambulance who helped get the hamster to hospital.

The amount of support there is quite amazing

http://www.justgiving.com/PHRichardHamm ... ationtable

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It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it.

Upton Sinclair

No, it's a silent P, as in bath

Eeew. There's no 'P' in the bath is there?

Don't you mean The 'T' is silent, as in 'fox'?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Reminds me of the old sign at the swimming baths.

"You will note that here is no "P" in our "Swimming ool!" Please try to keep it that way!"

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

As far as I can tell the appeal started at about 9:50am on Thursday, and now, 20.5 hours later, has raised £26,833.50 + £6,879.34 in gift aid. Simply amazing.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

It's started...read the piece by Neil Lyndon and the counterblast.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

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Anyone who tells you that nothing is impossible has never bathed in a saucer of water.

If Top Gear gets taken off-air I will really get ratty, as I hate this nanny state. They want to extract every little bit of enjoyment from life, whether watching television, driving or eating.

Top Gear is top-class entertainment that even people with no motoring interest whatsoever come to love. Some may argue that the producers are going too far, but what's wrong with pushing the boundaries? Victorian civil engineers were great for it; think about the challenge it took to build the Bell Rock lighthouse in the stormy North Sea.