Richard Hammond (top Gear Presenter) in crash whilst Filming

[Monkeymicra]

Ok you may of heard this already but i thought i post this up here

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,15410-1234566,00.html

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

Theres a big thread going on a car enthusiast website called pistonheads
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?p=31&f=141&t=309131&h=0

they have set up donations to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance who air lifted Richard and probably helped save his life.
http://www.justgiving.com/PHRichardHammond

my thoughts and prayers go out to his family (wife and 2 young daughters), and i hope he has a speedy and full recovery

[EOSAddict]

Saw that onnews last night but did not catch the details! Hope he's OK, Top Gear would not be the same without him!

[rhys]

He's not a racing driver, doesn't have racing driver's insurance. He was driving a car way beyond his limited capabilities. I am not surprised he had an accident. What galls me is that the British people now have to foot the bill for it all. This is where Britain's taxes are wasted. I'm sorry. I have no sympathy for a second rate TV performer who injures himself doing things that only professionals should do. I also wonder who will foot the bill for fixing the car that was wrecked. If it's the BBC then again - it's the public that ends up paying as the BBC is a state television company. That idiot has cost probably a million pounds for fixing the car and possibly another million for the helicopter and for fixing him up. That's two million pounds out of the pockets of hard-working British taxpayers.

[Pete]

Touching tribute, Rhys. Well done.

[EOSAddict]

I think you exaggerate rhys. If you go to the donation website they quote the average callout cost for the air ambulance as £340.. by your analogy the BBC would hardly make any programmes!

[madferrit]

Hope he gets better.., the show will definately not be the same without him.

[lakiluno]

He's not a racing driver, doesn't have racing driver's insurance. He was driving a car way beyond his limited capabilities. I am not surprised he had an accident. What galls me is that the British people now have to foot the bill for it all. This is where Britain's taxes are wasted. I'm sorry. I have no sympathy for a second rate TV performer who injures himself doing things that only professionals should do. I also wonder who will foot the bill for fixing the car that was wrecked. If it's the BBC then again - it's the public that ends up paying as the BBC is a state television company. That idiot has cost probably a million pounds for fixing the car and possibly another million for the helicopter and for fixing him up. That's two million pounds out of the pockets of hard-working British taxpayers.

I really doubt that the government will pay for the car - I know that the BBC is funded by the license fee, but there will of been insurance on the car.

The air ambulance would not cost a million pounds - seriously - nobody would ever fly helicopters if it cost a million pounds to fly. I doubt a jet car would cost a million pounds either...its not really very complex.

While I feel top gear goes over the top sometimes, and I absolutely detest jeremy clarkson, I don't think that you should just scorn him - you don't even live in the UK!

[rhys]

I really doubt that the government will pay for the car - I know that the BBC is funded by the license fee, but there will of been insurance on the car.

The air ambulance would not cost a million pounds - seriously - nobody would ever fly helicopters if it cost a million pounds to fly. I doubt a jet car would cost a million pounds either...its not really very complex.

While I feel top gear goes over the top sometimes, and I absolutely detest jeremy clarkson, I don't think that you should just scorn him - you don't even live in the UK!

Ok, Let's look at the costs. Air ambulances usually carry 4 crewmembers each of who is paid a salary. Fuel costs money, maintainance costs money. Licencing for the aircraft and other sundries costs money. The same for the hospital and we are also talking about consultants at the hospital. The ordinary quack can't cope with brain injuries. Plus surgeons plus all the other extra hidden costs.

Top Gear goes way over the top. It's supposed to review cars that consumers might buy. Instead, they race cars and look at vehicles consumers definitely won't buy. They reviewed the McLaren F1 - there're only 100 of them at over a million quid apiece. When is Joe Public going to buy one?

Top Gear was criticised by the government for concentrating on speed and on flashy cars rather than on cars people do buy. Having seen the wierd camera angles and suffered the horrendous audible onslaught, it looked to me more like a pop video, the last time I saw it - when I lived in Britain.

Jeremy Clarkson was the guy that believed in running over cyclists and pedestrians, I believe. I know my next-door neighbour was foaming at the mouth about him saying something like that in a recent interview on TV - when I lived in the UK.

[Ronald S. Jr.]

The one I saw was the F1 LM, and there's but 5 of those in the world.

[adam*]

Top Gear goes way over the top. It's supposed to review cars that consumers might buy. Instead, they race cars and look at vehicles consumers definitely won't buy. They reviewed the McLaren F1 - there're only 100 of them at over a million quid apiece. When is Joe Public going to buy one?

Great! That's entertainment and it's what I want to watch. Why not criticise Fifth Gear as well? If all they reviewed was say.. rovers.. it would be boring.

[mft]

That idiot has cost probably a million pounds for fixing the car and possibly another million for the helicopter and for fixing him up. That's two million pounds out of the pockets of hard-working British taxpayers.
I think your numbers are way out (an air ambulance costs about £6k per day to run, and he made use of it for maybe 4 hours out of that) but let's assume they're correct for a moment: there are 5 million regular viewers (=fans) of Top Gear in the UK alone - if it came to it, I doubt there'd be a single one who would begrudge 40p (their share) to the cause of saving Richard Hammond's life.

There's a simple principle here: we live in a society where life is valued, and we try to save life at all costs. You think this is wrong?


Top Gear goes way over the top. It's supposed to review cars that consumers might buy. Instead, they race cars and look at vehicles consumers definitely won't buy.Since when is Top Gear 'supposed' to do anything? It's a car-related show for entertainment, and nothing more. If you want to learn about the best car to tow a caravan, go and buy What Car ;)

[stupot]

He's not a racing driver, doesn't have racing driver's insurance. He was driving a car way beyond his limited capabilities. I am not surprised he had an accident. What galls me is that the British people now have to foot the bill for it all. This is where Britain's taxes are wasted. I'm sorry. I have no sympathy for a second rate TV performer who injures himself doing things that only professionals should do. I also wonder who will foot the bill for fixing the car that was wrecked. If it's the BBC then again - it's the public that ends up paying as the BBC is a state television company. That idiot has cost probably a million pounds for fixing the car and possibly another million for the helicopter and for fixing him up. That's two million pounds out of the pockets of hard-working British taxpayers.




I can't believe a 'mature' adult can come up with such crap. Whats laughable is you don't even live in England. I think 99% of the British public are glad to pay their tv licenses and get quality programming that educates, and entertains all. There really is something for everyone, gardening nights, comedy nights, kids channels, soaps, quality dramas, some incredible documentaries, David Attenboroughs planet earth springs to mind, and all without adverts. It's world renowned. But I'm sure you're happy watching home shopping, second rate comedies, and stupidly over-budget 'blockbuster' series.

Seriously who are you to say this is where our taxes are wasted! I agree, some money is wasted, but thats the same everywhere. Everyone wants to skim some money off.Either way there are benefits for all *cough* free healthcare *cough*.

As for your attack on Richard Hammond? That's just sad, and rude.

[manicminer]

Ok, Let's look at the costs. Air ambulances usually carry 4 crewmembers each of who is paid a salary. Fuel costs money, maintainance costs money. Licencing for the aircraft and other sundries costs money. The same for the hospital and we are also talking about consultants at the hospital. The ordinary quack can't cope with brain injuries. Plus surgeons plus all the other extra hidden costs.

Top Gear goes way over the top. It's supposed to review cars that consumers might buy. Instead, they race cars and look at vehicles consumers definitely won't buy. They reviewed the McLaren F1 - there're only 100 of them at over a million quid apiece. When is Joe Public going to buy one?

Top Gear was criticised by the government for concentrating on speed and on flashy cars rather than on cars people do buy. Having seen the wierd camera angles and suffered the horrendous audible onslaught, it looked to me more like a pop video, the last time I saw it - when I lived in Britain.

Jeremy Clarkson was the guy that believed in running over cyclists and pedestrians, I believe. I know my next-door neighbour was foaming at the mouth about him saying something like that in a recent interview on TV - when I lived in the UK.

Looks like living in the US is rubbing off on you. Dont you understand that when Clarkson talks about running over cyclists etc he is JOKING, understand - A JOKE.

As for your unwelcome comments, go crawl back under that rock you crawled out from, if you havent got anything considerate to say then just stfu especially as your estimates, sorry wild guesses about cost etc are completely without foundation and are in fact completely wrong. Allways a few like you when something like this happens, thank god you halfwits are just a few.

[Cadwell]

Enough said on this I think. This thread http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=218212 is available for those who want to express their best wishes for Richard's recovery.