seahorse
09-21-2006, 01:59 PM
Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson has been to see fellow presenter Richard Hammond who is in hospital in a serious condition after being injured in a 300mph car crash. The 36-year-old was filming an attempt to set an unofficial British land speed record when the jet-powered dragster, called Vampire, overturned.
He was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary from Elvington airfield near York yesterday.
A hospital spokesman said Mr Hammond is being treated in a neurological unit and is now in a
serious but stable condition after showing "some improvement" overnight.
Mr Hammond's wife Amanda and a brother are at the hospital.
Jeremy Clarkson said, at the hospital, said: "James May and I are at the hospital in Leeds where Richard remains in intensive care.
"Obviously at this time both he and his family are the most important concerns we have.
"It must be devastating for his wife Mindy and his two utterly adorable children.
"I would just like to say how heartened Richard will be when I tell him just how many motorists and truck drivers on my way here wound down their windows to say they were rooting for him. Both James and I are looking forward to getting our hamster back."
At the airfield today the wreckage was covered with a green tarpaulin as investigations were launched into how the accident happened.
Dave Ogden, one of the first on the scene, said Hammond had been travelling at speeds close to 300mph.
"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."
Sky sources understand that Top Gear co-presenter James May had been due to drive Vampire but pulled out ahead of the event.
The current British land speed record is held by Colin Fallows, from Northampton, in the car which reached 300.3mph in 2000.
source (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21092006/140/top-gear-star-s-300mph-horror-crash.html)
He was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary from Elvington airfield near York yesterday.
A hospital spokesman said Mr Hammond is being treated in a neurological unit and is now in a
serious but stable condition after showing "some improvement" overnight.
Mr Hammond's wife Amanda and a brother are at the hospital.
Jeremy Clarkson said, at the hospital, said: "James May and I are at the hospital in Leeds where Richard remains in intensive care.
"Obviously at this time both he and his family are the most important concerns we have.
"It must be devastating for his wife Mindy and his two utterly adorable children.
"I would just like to say how heartened Richard will be when I tell him just how many motorists and truck drivers on my way here wound down their windows to say they were rooting for him. Both James and I are looking forward to getting our hamster back."
At the airfield today the wreckage was covered with a green tarpaulin as investigations were launched into how the accident happened.
Dave Ogden, one of the first on the scene, said Hammond had been travelling at speeds close to 300mph.
"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."
Sky sources understand that Top Gear co-presenter James May had been due to drive Vampire but pulled out ahead of the event.
The current British land speed record is held by Colin Fallows, from Northampton, in the car which reached 300.3mph in 2000.
source (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21092006/140/top-gear-star-s-300mph-horror-crash.html)