Richard Hammond

[Faolan]

For those who watch Top Gear, Richard Hammond was involved in a crash this evening. He was trapped in a jet engine dragster and taken to Leeds hospital unconcious. His condition is described as critical more here:

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

[momentz]

For those who watch Top Gear, Richard Hammond was involved in a crash this evening. He was trapped in a jet engine dragster and taken to Leeds hospital unconcious. His condition is described as critical more here:

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


Just read about this on another forum too. Best of luck Hamster! :(

[neil_r]

Let us all hope that there is a good outcome, One of the few "peronalities" on the TV that seem to be really nice (horrible word nice, but it just seems to fit here)

[ImperialRed]

Terrible news...We're all pulling for you Richard.



I've enjoyed everything I've watched from Hammond. I hope he's okay... :( :( :(

[Mike Reynolds]

thats aweful

[WRC]

Yeah good luck you plucky little bugger.

[BearSummer]

Terrible news, here's hoping for a full recovery for one of the best presenters on TV.

BearSummer

[Stavhp]

Bad new-latest is that he is in a stable condition
He prbally has the most enveyed job in England
Good luck to him

[blonde]

omg!! i really pray that he will pull through!!! i have been an avid top gear and i can say that Richard is the reason why i love that show

[Pete]

Hope he comes through this with everything intact, couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. This accident probably marks the start of the end of the show though, which is a huge pity.

[KenAdams]

Hope he comes through this with everything intact, couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. This accident probably marks the start of the end of the show though, which is a huge pity.

My sentiments exactly (both of them). Obviously the priority is for The Hamster to make a full recovery, but I share your concern that the safety ****s at the Beeb or elsewhere will rein in their capers which make the show the best entertainment on the telly. :(

Get well soon, Richard.

[Pete]

I think it's more like the general road-saftey campaigners that have been villifying Top Gear's obsession with supercars, speed, taking the pee out of Rover drivers, and generally destroying things.

In recent series, TG had been pulling madder and madder stunts to keep up the ratings. I think the bubble's burst now.

Personally, I love the program and never willingly miss it.

[Anthony J Howe]

I'm thinking of you Richard, get well soon and hopefully make a full recovery.
I know I have been there.

[nigelr07]

Really sorry to hear the news, can only hope he recovers and is able to get back to what he certainly appears to enjoy.
I know we certainly enjoy his style and sense of humour.

Long live the hamster

Thoughts are with his wife and family too....

[chris clements]

Fingers firmly crossed for one of the good guys - his enthusiasm for motoring is infectious.
Should the programme survive this, at the very least it wlll have to get back into the real world of Astras, Meganes and Fiestas, and away from torching caravans and setting land speed records

[Pete]

Fingers firmly crossed for one of the good guys - his enthusiasm for motoring is infectious.
Should the programme survive this, at the very least it wlll have to get back into the real world of Astras, Meganes and Fiestas, and away from torching caravans and setting land speed records


Ahh, you'll need to watch "5th Gear" then...

[EOSAddict]

Cross ref to this thread,

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=218411

which includes a link to a donation site setup specifically to help Yorkshire Air Ambulance who lifted him to hospital. So far it has raised over $3500!

[peacock]

I wish him a speedy recovery , though " significant brain injury " doesnt sound promising :( TG has brought enjoyment to many people in many countries and Hamster is a great foil for Clarkson. I laughed so much with the clip of him in the 4x4 bowler shouting " I am a driving god":lol:

[GSH]

which includes a link to a donation site setup specifically to help Yorkshire Air Ambulance who lifted him to hospital. So far it has raised over $3500!

Total is around £16K now, very impressive.

Best wishes to Richard and his family. He seems a decent bloke who has a job i'd do for nothing :D

[tlc]

i believe they are investigating this because he never should havve been behind the wheel. he was not qualified.

[GSH]

i believe they are investigating this because he never should havve been behind the wheel. he was not qualified.

There are no qualifications for this sort of thing. It is not like F1 where you need an FIA Super License.

There is no school for Drag racing drivers. Hammond had done several practice runs in the car before the accident. Clearly there was either a major mechanical failure or some external influence such as a gust of wind etc.

[Wazza]

I hope for a speedy recovery from him. :)

As for not qualified? And the negatism in the other thread, these Top Gear drivers are clearly better than the average daredevil driver on your public streets.

Hammond has a lot more experience driving fast exotic cars, than most other people around, bar the actual people around. Of course, Andy Greene himself could have driven the car, but where's the fun in that? Or a masked Stig.. ;)

It doesn't matter, they wouldn't have thrown him into a car if he wasn't up to the task. The fact he did several successful runs earlier proves that, and this time the car suddenly pulled right, so sounds like something gave way on the car.

[DOverton]

Get well soon Hamster

I read in one of the Daily Newspapers that one of the Tyres blew causing it to swerve right

Unsure if that is true or not but could explain a lot

Dan.

[MagicallyDelicious]

im gonna be saying my prayers for him n his family tonight. :(

[Wazza]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/uk_enl_1158860103/img/1.jpg

Here's an image also.
Shows how wildly went off course.. Reports are possible tyre failure.
Look how wide the runway is.. Obviously at 300mph things approach much faster, but still that's pretty big.

best of luck

[FlyingPete]

i believe they are investigating this because he never should havve been behind the wheel. he was not qualified.

I hope this doesn't become a witch hunt for someone to blame, accidents happen, just ask Clarkson:

But, of course, there's is no such thing as an accident these days. If you trip over a paving stone or eat a dodgy piece of meat, there will be an enquiry, someone will be culpable, and steps will be taken to ensure it doesn't happen again.

[varanus]

hamster is one of the few people on telly these days you dont want to flush down the loo lets hope he is back good as new ASAP

[Steve Parr]

i believe they are investigating this because he never should havve been behind the wheel. he was not qualified.

And exactly how would someone go about getting qualified to drive a jet-powered car?

[blonde]

i gottta say that i am shocked by some of the comments on the other locked thread..

[tlc]

There are no qualifications for this sort of thing. It is not like F1 where you need an FIA Super License.

There is no school for Drag racing drivers. Hammond had done several practice runs in the car before the accident. Clearly there was either a major mechanical failure or some external influence such as a gust of wind etc.

gee, i think knowing what your doing would be one qualification. i'm only reporting what was in the paper, here, where it happened. he was a last minute stand in, and only had a few days to prepare - he was not qualified and that is that, i dont care how many fast cars he has driven he had never done this before and that is why they are investigating.

[tlc]

And exactly :rolleyes: would someone go about getting qualified to drive a jet-powered car?


please see above. :rolleyes:

[theflyingkiwi]

anyone that jumps in to a jet powered for the first time isn't qualified, but that doesn't stop anyone from trying. Weather or he is or isn't qualified is not the point of this thread. We don't wont this getting one locked now do we :)

Lets just hope that he gets well soon and can get back to what he loves to do. Top Gear will not be the same with out him.

I guess clarkson can't make fun of his teeth now can he :)

[madferrit]

Trying to keep this thread back on track as a place to share your thoughts about Richard, as well as TG he did a brilliant show on Sky called Brainiacs. Never got to watch it too much but it was great entertainment :)

[Dave_G]

Make a donation to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity (http://www.justgiving.com/PHRichardHammond?page=1#donationtable)

- I have.

[neil_g]

gee, i think knowing what your doing would be one qualification. i'm only reporting what was in the paper, here, where it happened. he was a last minute stand in, and only had a few days to prepare - he was not qualified and that is that, i dont care how many fast cars he has driven he had never done this before and that is why they are investigating.

he wasnt a last minute stand in at all, it was weeks before hand that hamster swapped places with james may due to diary clashes and the availability of the vampire drag car.

and the H&S exectutive said that they would always get involved with something like this because it is an accident at work.

[peacock]

Jeremy Clarkson is reported to have said, after a visit to Hammond's bedside: "He was lying peacefully with a black eye but didn't react so I tried something else. I said, 'The reason you're here is because you're a crap driver'. He then smiled at me. It was an amazing moment, very moving."

taken from;
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=15103

[GSH]

gee, i think knowing what your doing would be one qualification. i'm only reporting what was in the paper, here, where it happened. .

I'm not entirely sure what your point is, given that i'm actually closer to where it happened than you are. I don't place much faith in the UK Tabloids to report facts.

He's an MSA race licence holder, which as qualifications go is about as good as it gets. By your sort of logic, Michael Schumacher would not be qualified to drive that car either.

[GSH]

Make a donation to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity (http://www.justgiving.com/PHRichardHammond?page=1#donationtable)

- I have.

Likewise Dave.

Saw the appeal kick off on Pistonheads and chipped in. It's gone absoloutely mad considering they expected to raise a few hundred at best :)

[Stavhp]

Oooooooh, good news
Heard that he woke up, visited teh tiolet and asked what had happened
Thats gotta be good right?

[Zilly]

from a racers point of veiw. it was a stupid thing to do one he is not experienced enough in shoot controll among other things and it was way too much of a risk to take. also the health and saft geeks will now come down on all us dragster junkies and stop use having safe legal fun.

I do how ever express my deepest condolences to the family as i know what they are going through

[GSH]

I really can't be bothered any more with all the negative posts about this, so i'll simply say that the appeal for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance now stands at over £90,000. :)

[lakiluno]

some guy donated 50,000!!

[Carzee]

Talking money... I wonder if Top Gear picks up the bill for the totalled drag machine?

[lakiluno]

almst certainly insured