Top Gear Presenter Critical after Accident

Glasgow 911SC · Glasgow 911SC's Garage

Richard Hammond of Top Gear is in critical condition after an accident filming. Hope he's going to be ok.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/5365676.stm

BRPORSCHE · 09-20-2006, 01:05 PM

so sad to hear. I really liked the top gear crew, it just won't be the same if he can't come back. Just check wikipedia they already updated it. Man those guys are fast!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hammond

Overpaid Slacker · 09-20-2006, 01:07 PM

Is wikipedia as quick as Steve PH?

JP

BRPORSCHE · 09-20-2006, 01:12 PM

touche!

masraum · 09-20-2006, 01:49 PM

THat's a bummer. The shows is because of all three of them. It'd be hard to build another team that good. Hopefully he's able to make a full recovery.

legion · 09-20-2006, 05:10 PM

He was my favorite.

He must have crashed because he was hypnotized into thinking he couldn't drive...

Rodeo · 09-20-2006, 06:24 PM

Stable condition, thankfully. Hope he's all right.

epbrown · 09-20-2006, 11:49 PM

A fellow BMW Z4 enthusiast! Hammond bought one after testing them for the show, and moved up to the M Roadster recently, I've heard. Hope he gets well soon.

trj911 · trj911's Garage

Bummer! I hope he recovers fully!

serge944 · serge944's Garage

A Jet car!

Tim Walsh · Tim Walsh's Garage

I just heard a report of "significant brain injury", but expected to make a "good" recovery.

Hang in there shorty.

http://jalopnik.com/cars/news/scene-of-the-crash-bbc-video-report-on-richard-hammond-doctors-report-significant-brain-injury-202264.php

masraum · 09-21-2006, 12:32 PM

Apparently he's in stable condition now which is good.

masraum · 09-21-2006, 12:49 PM

Someone on the Miata BB said that Paul Frere was also injured in an accident on the nurburgring. Yeah, someone on the other board corrected his spelling. P.Frere was born in 1917.

Quote:

Paul Ferer has multiple fractures and punctured both lungs after crashing a Honda Civic Type R at Nurburgring.

masraum · 09-21-2006, 12:52 PM

just found more info

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/20/breaking-automotive-journalist-and-racer-paul-fr-re-seriously-i/

Quote:

the 89-year-old Frère was apparently involved in a heavy collision while driving a Honda Civic R. He is in a Frankfurt hospital with seven broken ribs, a shattered pelvis and two punctured lungs. The prognosis appears good, however.

onlycafe · 09-21-2006, 03:08 PM

hope for a complete recovery asap.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Sad to hear about both gentlemen. Particularly about Frere. There are no trivial trauma injuries in an 89 year-old.

masraum · 07:34 PM

Frere is an amazing man. 89 and would probably (prior to the accident) run circles around most of us. Can you imagine the stories that he could tell. I read a short bio that said that he started racing motorcycles in 1946 and cars shortly there after, to include pretty much every major road race in Europe.

Not only would he be a darn interesting person to talk to in his own right, but he's probably raced with, been buddies with, and rubbed elbows with many of the greatest of the great drivers that have ever been.

Hmm, a search on Amazon reveals 2 books besides Sportscar and Competition Driving and Porsche 911 Story. He's also got an out of print Porsche Racing Cars of the 70s and an autobiography My Life Full of Cars: Behind the Wheel With the World's Top Motoring Journalist.

I might have to check out the autobiography.

Usmellgass2? · 09-21-2006, 07:54 PM

Wow, 89 and still mattin the pedal. His life has seen things like common, flight, ag tractors, electricity, autos, a common life when he was a kid was livestock and the soil. Everything that has spawned our current life style was in its infancy and very rare. Its hard to imagine.

I hope the other fella gets well soon too, I like his show. The car didn't look that bad, hope thats a good sign. But I gotta say 300 mph is a record?, the BBC is lookin in to see if breaking speed records is dangerous? Those boys need to come out west more often!

Steve PH · 09-22-2006, 02:18 PM

Didn't realise Paul Frere was quite that old! Those injurys at that great age seem pretty damn worrying, fingers crossed for a full recovery.

But I gotta say 300 mph is a record?, the BBC is lookin in to see if breaking speed records is dangerous? Those boys need to come out west more

There is a big difference betwean 300 mph out on the salt flats and 300 mph on a narrow 3 mile air strip. If you look at the history of landspeed records you will find that pre WW2 some records were set in the UK but once speeds got up to the 300 mph mark the record breakers looked else where for bigger flatter safer areas to play in.

Usmellgass2? · 09-22-2006, 06:32 PM

I dont mean to be disrespectful, but any thing on nitro breaks 3 bucks in the 1/4 easy, even the Alky cars are close. That was what prompted my flip comment. On the other side of the coin I am truly impressed with a man that can handle a race car at nearly 90.