Post by TTR Dr Payne on Sept 21, 2006 17:51:56 GMT -4
jalopnik.com/cars/news/scene-of-the-crash-bbc-video-report-on-richard-hammond-doctors-report-significant-brain-injury-202264.php
(lazy link doesnt work because the url is more then one line long so your guna have to copy and paste the link into your browser. Theres a vid on the site)
The Beeb's got a new report up with some blurry crash scene footage, some stock footage of the Vampire jet-car, and Clarkson arriving at the hospital. It's not much folks, and it's rather boring, but it's the latest we got. [Hat tip to Dan]
UPDATE: 24Dash.com is reporting the following:
TV presenter Richard Hammond suffered a "significant brain injury" in a high-speed crash, but doctors are "reasonably optimistic he will make a good recovery", Leeds General Infirmary said tonight.
In a statement, the Hospital Trust said: "Mr Hammond has suffered a significant brain injury.
"It's still giving cause for concern as it is still early after the injury.
"However, we are reasonably optimistic that he will make a good recovery."
TOP GEAR RICHARD SUFFERED 'BRAIN INJURY' IN 280MPH JET CAR HORROR
TV STAR FIGHTING FOR LIFE
TOP Gear presenter Richard Hammond suffered "a significant brain injury" in the 280mph crash while attempting to break the British land speed record, Leeds General Infirmary confirmed tonight.
But doctors said they were "reasonably optimistic" the 36-year-old Mirror motoring columnist would make a good recovery. Richard was believed to be trying to break the British land speed record in a powerful dragster when it somersaulted at an airfield.
Father of two Richard, 35, was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where last night he was critically ill with suspected head injuries. The hospital said this morning that he had improved slightly overnight.
Fire spokesman Dave Ogden said: "At 280mph the parachute deployed. There was quite a lot of smoke and the car veered off to the right.
"It came to a halt 200 yards in front of us. The car turned upside down and Richard's head dug into the ground, with his helmet surrounded by soil.
"We got him out and he showed us areas of pain which was a good sign he was able to talk to us.
POWERFUL: The jet car was travelling at 280mph
"He was still breathing at that point but in distress."
Last night Richard's wife Mindy, 35, was on her way to hospital.
She told the Mirror: "He's the strongest man in the world and I know he'll get through this. He's a bit daft but I love him to bits. We're all going to be there with him."
James May, who co-presents BBC's Top Gear with Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson, was said to be "devastated".
Richard was filming an episode of Top Gear at Elvington airfield, North Yorks, driving one of two jet powered cars - Vampire and Split Second - which went head to head in July this year in an attempt to break the British land speed record.
Suddenly the vehicle hurtled out of control. One source said: "The car turned over and over again. It was a right mess."
SCENE: Tarpaulin covers the Vampire car at Elvington airfield
The dragster has an aircraft type seat with a jet engine behind him.
Mr Ogden said: "Richard was in a safety harness, wearing a fireproof racing suit, and neck collar. There was a structure around him like a cage and a rollbar. The cage saved his life."
Yorkshire Air Ambulance said: "We received a call around 5.30pm from Elvington airfield in York. We sent a road and air ambulance as we were told there had been a high speed crash at the airfield.
"When we arrived a 35-year-old man was unconscious. He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary by air ambulance.
"The unit said when he arrived at the hospital he was regaining consciousness."
Last night Richard's motoring friend Colin Goodwin said: "Our thoughts are with his family at the moment. We are all hoping and praying he will pull through."
Former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson said one of Hammond's best qualities was that he has "no fear".
CRASH: Aerial photograph shows how the vehicle left the track
He told BBC News 24: "It's a huge, huge tragedy. He's a wonderful, unique and distinctive presenter.
"The fact that he tries absolutely anything once may have been the reason that he might have overstepped the mark a bit. He's irreplaceable. We all hope he's going to get better very soon."
A hospital spokesman said last night Richard was in a "critical condition" and his relatives had been informed.
Family members set off for Leeds as soon as they were told the news.
A BBC spokeswoman added: "The focus of our attention is on Richard at this stage. We will make further details known as soon as they are available."
Earlier this year Hammond, father of daughters Isabella, five, and Willow, two, said: "If I didn't have to work for a living I could quite happily spend my days thrashing around the Top Gear test track.
"You can't beat it. No traffic cameras, no policeman (awake or sleeping) and not a lot to hit. Even in a slow car it's great fun."
The presenter, who owns a Harley- Davidson motorbike, met Mindy in between a stint of radio reporting and landing his first TV show on satellite channel Men and Motors. Their union was described as a "marriage made in Halfords" after the couple admitted they happily spend the weekend cleaning out their collection of cars on their estate in Gloucestershire.
Richard said recently: "Mindy loves things that roar and purr as much as I do. She never complains if I bring home another wreck."
The son of a solicitor, Richard attended a Yorkshire grammar school and became an instant hit with female viewers when he started on Top Gear in 2002. Vampire holds the outright British land speed record of 300.3mph, driven by Colin Fallows.
The car is 30ft long, drinks 7-10 gallons per mile and accelerates 0-272mph in six seconds. It is powered by a Rolls Royce Orpheus jet engine and can reach 370mph.
Split Second is powered by a Rolls Royce Viper engine from a commercial jet.
This is terible news, Top Gear is the best show out there! Wont be the shame without the Hampster! Hopefully he makes a good recovery and eventually returns to host the show.
(lazy link doesnt work because the url is more then one line long so your guna have to copy and paste the link into your browser. Theres a vid on the site)
The Beeb's got a new report up with some blurry crash scene footage, some stock footage of the Vampire jet-car, and Clarkson arriving at the hospital. It's not much folks, and it's rather boring, but it's the latest we got. [Hat tip to Dan]
UPDATE: 24Dash.com is reporting the following:
TV presenter Richard Hammond suffered a "significant brain injury" in a high-speed crash, but doctors are "reasonably optimistic he will make a good recovery", Leeds General Infirmary said tonight.
In a statement, the Hospital Trust said: "Mr Hammond has suffered a significant brain injury.
"It's still giving cause for concern as it is still early after the injury.
"However, we are reasonably optimistic that he will make a good recovery."
TOP GEAR RICHARD SUFFERED 'BRAIN INJURY' IN 280MPH JET CAR HORROR
TV STAR FIGHTING FOR LIFE
TOP Gear presenter Richard Hammond suffered "a significant brain injury" in the 280mph crash while attempting to break the British land speed record, Leeds General Infirmary confirmed tonight.
But doctors said they were "reasonably optimistic" the 36-year-old Mirror motoring columnist would make a good recovery. Richard was believed to be trying to break the British land speed record in a powerful dragster when it somersaulted at an airfield.
Father of two Richard, 35, was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where last night he was critically ill with suspected head injuries. The hospital said this morning that he had improved slightly overnight.
Fire spokesman Dave Ogden said: "At 280mph the parachute deployed. There was quite a lot of smoke and the car veered off to the right.
"It came to a halt 200 yards in front of us. The car turned upside down and Richard's head dug into the ground, with his helmet surrounded by soil.
"We got him out and he showed us areas of pain which was a good sign he was able to talk to us.
POWERFUL: The jet car was travelling at 280mph
"He was still breathing at that point but in distress."
Last night Richard's wife Mindy, 35, was on her way to hospital.
She told the Mirror: "He's the strongest man in the world and I know he'll get through this. He's a bit daft but I love him to bits. We're all going to be there with him."
James May, who co-presents BBC's Top Gear with Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson, was said to be "devastated".
Richard was filming an episode of Top Gear at Elvington airfield, North Yorks, driving one of two jet powered cars - Vampire and Split Second - which went head to head in July this year in an attempt to break the British land speed record.
Suddenly the vehicle hurtled out of control. One source said: "The car turned over and over again. It was a right mess."
SCENE: Tarpaulin covers the Vampire car at Elvington airfield
The dragster has an aircraft type seat with a jet engine behind him.
Mr Ogden said: "Richard was in a safety harness, wearing a fireproof racing suit, and neck collar. There was a structure around him like a cage and a rollbar. The cage saved his life."
Yorkshire Air Ambulance said: "We received a call around 5.30pm from Elvington airfield in York. We sent a road and air ambulance as we were told there had been a high speed crash at the airfield.
"When we arrived a 35-year-old man was unconscious. He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary by air ambulance.
"The unit said when he arrived at the hospital he was regaining consciousness."
Last night Richard's motoring friend Colin Goodwin said: "Our thoughts are with his family at the moment. We are all hoping and praying he will pull through."
Former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson said one of Hammond's best qualities was that he has "no fear".
CRASH: Aerial photograph shows how the vehicle left the track
He told BBC News 24: "It's a huge, huge tragedy. He's a wonderful, unique and distinctive presenter.
"The fact that he tries absolutely anything once may have been the reason that he might have overstepped the mark a bit. He's irreplaceable. We all hope he's going to get better very soon."
A hospital spokesman said last night Richard was in a "critical condition" and his relatives had been informed.
Family members set off for Leeds as soon as they were told the news.
A BBC spokeswoman added: "The focus of our attention is on Richard at this stage. We will make further details known as soon as they are available."
Earlier this year Hammond, father of daughters Isabella, five, and Willow, two, said: "If I didn't have to work for a living I could quite happily spend my days thrashing around the Top Gear test track.
"You can't beat it. No traffic cameras, no policeman (awake or sleeping) and not a lot to hit. Even in a slow car it's great fun."
The presenter, who owns a Harley- Davidson motorbike, met Mindy in between a stint of radio reporting and landing his first TV show on satellite channel Men and Motors. Their union was described as a "marriage made in Halfords" after the couple admitted they happily spend the weekend cleaning out their collection of cars on their estate in Gloucestershire.
Richard said recently: "Mindy loves things that roar and purr as much as I do. She never complains if I bring home another wreck."
The son of a solicitor, Richard attended a Yorkshire grammar school and became an instant hit with female viewers when he started on Top Gear in 2002. Vampire holds the outright British land speed record of 300.3mph, driven by Colin Fallows.
The car is 30ft long, drinks 7-10 gallons per mile and accelerates 0-272mph in six seconds. It is powered by a Rolls Royce Orpheus jet engine and can reach 370mph.
Split Second is powered by a Rolls Royce Viper engine from a commercial jet.
This is terible news, Top Gear is the best show out there! Wont be the shame without the Hampster! Hopefully he makes a good recovery and eventually returns to host the show.