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Samiroquai
Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: North Somerset and Manchester, both in England
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 Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 22:42 |
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Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond in critical condition
I thought I'd put this here because so many of you (even the internationals) are familiar with Top Gear (thanks partly to Jay's own love of it and partly to the good ole BBC World Service)...
Richard Hammond was involved in a high-speed crash whilst track-racing a jet-powered car (this is TG, remember) this afternoon, and is now in a critical condition in a hospital in Leeds. The BBC aren't releasing any further details at the moment but the 10 O'Clock News said that from where he'd been taken to and the department he was in it seemed like he's got some pretty serious (um, critical) head injuries...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/5365676.stm
Get well soon, Hamster...
Sam
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VirtuallyInsane
Joined: 10 Jun 2002
Posts: 868
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| Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 23:47 |
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Heard about this on the news when I got in earlier this evening...
Best wishes & thoughts to him, his wife & their two daughters... |
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Samiroquai
Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: North Somerset and Manchester, both in England
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 01:45 |
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Indeed.
First more detailed report on this from the new edition of the Telegraph ('first' in that the Telegraph send their email bulletin out around 2 or 3am whereas the other decent papers in the UK wait until the day's actually begun). It seems he and the team were trying to break the British land speed record... It also says he was 'drifting in and out of conciousness', which I suppose is a good thing - better, I'm assuming, than being totally out from the very start.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/21/nhammond21.xml&DCMP=EMC-new_21092006
| Daily Telegraph wrote: |
Top Gear man hurt in 300mph jet-car crash
By Anil Dawar
(Filed: 21/09/2006)
The Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was critically injured in a 300mph car crash yesterday while filming the programme.
Hammond, 36, was driving a jet-powered dragster called the Vampire at Elvington airfield, a former RAF base near York, when it flipped and rolled. It was reported that he was trapped in the car and had to be cut free.
Drifting in and out of consciousness, he was taken to Leeds General Infirmary by air ambulance. He was being treated last night in the specialist neurological unit.
The Vampire set the British land speed record in 2000 when it reached 300.3mph. It is believed Hammond was trying to break that record over two timed quarter-mile stretches.
Michael Harvey, the editor of Top Gear magazine, said: "I've heard stories Richard was touching speeds close to 300mph and clearly at those kinds of speeds the tiniest little thing has to go wrong and the speed obviously massively exaggerates the consequences.
"This wasn't a high- performance car, this wasn't a road car, this was a rocket-powered dragster which bears absolutely no relation to the kind of cars that are the main fodder of the Top Gear programme – this was a car that clearly contained its own risks."
Hammond, known as "Hamster" by fans because he is only 5ft 7in tall, presents the BBC2 motoring programme with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, a Daily Telegraph columnist.
Quentin Willson, a former Top Gear presenter, said: "It does sound very serious. It is a huge, huge tragedy. Richard is a wonderful individual and unique presenter." Willson said he feared that his "indefatigable energy" might have been the reason that he "overstepped the mark".
Dave Ogden, who runs the private firm Event Fire Services, was helping to provide emergency cover at the airfield.
He said: "On the previous run the car had just gone over 300mph but I am not sure if it had broken the record. They had just done one more run and were planning to finish when it veered off to the right.
"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."
After the car was turned the right way up, the unconscious Hammond was cut free and placed in a neck brace and on a stretcher before the air ambulance arrived.
"He was regaining consciousness at that point and said he had some lower back pain. But he was drifting in and out of consciousness a little bit," said Mr Ogden.
Doctors at the hospital said Hammond, who is married with two young daughters, was in a critical but stable condition.
His wife, Amanda, last night travelled from the family home in Cheltenham to be by his bedside.
Hammond is known for regularly taking part in potentially dangerous stunts, such as driving blind-folded, to liven up his shows.
Top Gear is watched by five million every week in Britain and is popular with audiences around the world.
Hammond hosted Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show on ITV1 early this year. |
Sam
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mr.az
Joined: 01 Sep 2005
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Location: rallying
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 03:38 |
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im a fan of top gear since 1997, and for me that top gear guys are like my friends(they know about cars alot like me, and they understand my point of view in many car things...)and for me this news is sad...yea, they do some times stunt things(they take risks in the last times...sometimes alot more than all can imagine, except some freaky car fan like me...)
but know he is in critical condition is like the world AGAIN is bring me down first steve irwin, one of my-all-times-heros and now, one of the guys who is part of top gear...for me this is another unexpected news, a really sad unexpected news
i have the best wish for hammond and his family, and i hope he can comeback again and test more cool cars like always in top gear, i wish this is not something worst.
if somebody know abouthow i can contact bbc top gear for ask about him and more, please still posting news please¡¡¡¡¡¡
by the way, im gonna try to post all the paris car news in a while...and i hope we have better news soon.
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lilyjammer
Moderator & Jamily Coach
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 05:12 |
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This is awful news to wake up to  Best wishes from my family to Richard's. |
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Samiroquai
Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: North Somerset and Manchester, both in England
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:41 |
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| mr.az wrote: |
| first steve irwin, one of my-all-times-heros and now, one of the guys who is part of top gear... |
That was almost exactly what I thought! He was still being treated as of this morning, so hopefully he can pull through, although it'll be a surprise if he's actually able to carry on presenting the show, I'd have thought.
| mr.az wrote: |
| if somebody know abouthow i can contact bbc top gear for ask about him and more, please still posting news please¡¡¡¡¡¡ |
Sorry, yeah, should've put that up with my original post - go to www.bbc.co.uk/topgear and click 'contact us' in the bottom left corner. The form doesn't always work so if needs be, write them an email - the address will be on that page.
Sam
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mr.az
Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 2421
Location: rallying
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 14:22 |
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| Samiroquai wrote: |
| mr.az wrote: |
| first steve irwin, one of my-all-times-heros and now, one of the guys who is part of top gear... |
That was almost exactly what I thought! He was still being treated as of this morning, so hopefully he can pull through, although it'll be a surprise if he's actually able to carry on presenting the show, I'd have thought
Sam |
is great to see more people feels the same as i feel, for me they're like brothers who test cars and know about carseven before i know someones...thanks for the link, i send them a feedback, i hope they read my message 
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VirtuallyInsane
Joined: 10 Jun 2002
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Samiroquai
Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 1020
Location: North Somerset and Manchester, both in England
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 22:34 |
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Thanks Yvie...
| Quote: |
Doctors at Leeds General Infirmary said they were "reasonably optimistic" the 36-year-old would make a good recovery...
Hammond's wife Mindy was at his bedside in the Leeds hospital and he was also visited by Top Gear co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May.
Referring to Hammond by his nickname, Clarkson said in statement: "Both James and I are looking forward to getting our 'hamster' back." |
Oh good. Best news I've heard all day.
I'd also like to apologise to Hamster and the Top Gear team (as if any of them are going to read this!) for mis-spelling his surname in the title of this thread. It should of course have a 'd' in it. As always when I'm on here, it was very late at night etc. etc.
Sam
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mr.az
Joined: 01 Sep 2005
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Location: rallying
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| Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 23:25 |
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good news
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lilyjammer
Moderator & Jamily Coach
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 05:12 |
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The latest news I can find on Google News was last night's... let's hope that the saying "no news is good news" holds true. |
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the_doesman
Officer
Joined: 11 Feb 2002
Posts: 425
Location: the Netherlands
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| Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 05:53 |
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| Samiroquai wrote: |
I'd also like to apologise to Hamster and the Top Gear team (as if any of them are going to read this!) for mis-spelling his surname in the title of this thread. It should of course have a 'd' in it. As always when I'm on here, it was very late at night etc. etc.
Sam |
Sam, I added the d to the topic title. I must admit that I didn't notice it at first.
anyway let's hope my favorite car show presenter (as if cars are interesting enough ...) wil soon be a lot better.
They'd showed images of the wreck (I think) at dutch tv yesterday evening |
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mr.az
Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 2421
Location: rallying
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| Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 15:36 |
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Hammond out of intensive care
By Tom Evans
September 22 2006
The hospital treating Richard Hammond following his horrific high-speed crash in a jet-powered car on Wednesday say that he is making "satisfactory progress" and has been moved out of intensive care. On Thursday evening doctors said that he had a significant brain injury.
A spokesman for Leeds General Infirmary said: "Doctors say Richard Hammond is making satisfactory progress. This morning he has been moved from intensive care on to a high dependency unit. His condition has been downgraded from 'serious but stable' to 'stable'." It is not clear yet how serious the Top Gear presenter's brain injury is but Leeds General Infirmary medical staff are "reasonably optimistic" he will make a good recovery. Top Gear co-host Jeremy Clarkson who has visited Hammond in hospital told The Sun newspaper that the injured presenter had smiled when Clarkson jokingly insulted his driving abilities, and the smile convinced him that 'the hamster' would survive. He also said that apart from a black eye, he looked unharmed. Amazingly it seems that he hasn't broken any bones.
The jet-powered car that Richard Hammond crashed in is recovered, at Elvington airfield near York.The circumstances of the crash are still emerging, and the organiser of the event has denied that Hammond was attempting to break the British land speed record at the time. Organiser Primetime Land Speed Engineering has claimed that Hammond was following the "highest safety standards" before the crash. The company is jointly run by the current British land speed record, Colin Fallows. Malcolm Pittwood, a spokesman for the firm said: “We are deeply shocked by yesterday’s racing accident and our thoughts are with Richard Hammond and his family. The vehicle, which Richard Hammond was driving all day yesterday, had been prepared and was being operated to the highest of standards."
The BBC is to investigate. Keith King, an inspector for the Health and Safety Executive, said it was a "very unusual case" and they would also be working with North Yorkshire Police in a joint investigation.
What happened
Skid marks can clearly be seen from when the car left the track, rolled over, and came to rest at the bottom leftHammond, 36, was filming a segment for the television programme at Elvington airfield, a former RAF base in North Yorkshire, on Wednesday afternoon. It is thought that he was travelling in a ‘jet-powered’ Vampire dragster at up to 280mph at the time of the accident, and there are rumours - denied by the organising company - that he was attempting to break the British land-speed record. There are also reports that he had succeeded in breaking the record. This 'record' would have been unofficial, as there were no appropriate officials present. At the end of a final run to get additional footage the vehicle's braking-parachute deployed, but the car then veered off the track and overturned. Dave Ogden, of a specialist fire service company monitoring the event, told Sky News: "The parachute went up, there was a lot of smoke, it veered off the runway, and overturned several times." Mr Ogden was helping to provide emergency cover at the airfield in case of an accident when he saw the crash. He said he felt for a pulse and heard Hammond, who was unconscious, breathing before the emergency crews worked together to turn the car the right way up.
Hammond had been able to talk to but was in distress, Ogden added. "He was regaining consciousness at that point and said he had some lower back pain. But he was drifting in and out of consciousness a little bit," Ogden said.
The car
A Vampire dragster, similar to the one that the crash occurred inThe Vampire dragster is capable of phenomenal performance. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Orpheous engine, more normally found in jet fighters, the 'car' accelerates to 270mph in just six seconds. The car is theoretically capable of 370mph, but it is thought British land-speed record holder Colin Fallows thinks this speed is too dangerous and the current officially-set record speed for this car is 300.3mph, which he set in the car in July 2000 - also at Elvington. 30-foot long, the car weighs just 998 kilogrammes and does 7+ gallons of fuel to the mile.
VIDEO: Richard Hammond suffers brain injury
Jeremy Clarkson arrives at Leeds General Infirmary on Thursday Jeremy Clarkson arrived at the hospital on Thursday. He said: "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 [May] and I are looking forward to getting our Hamster back." James May, who co-presents 'Top Gear' with Hammond and Clarkson, said he was devastated to learn his "old mate" had been injured; there are unconfirmed reports that May was originally due to drive the car, but for unknown reason swapped places in recent days.
Not just 'Top Gear'
Richard Hammond started his show-business career as a local radio DJ and became a household name in 2002 as one of the presenters of Top Gear, and his success there has led to work on many other TV shows and projects, including ‘Should I Worry About...?’, ‘Petrolheads’, ‘Brainiac’, ‘Time Commanders’ and ‘The 5 O'Clock Show’. He also presented the live MPH ’05 show, held in Birmingham and London, with fellow ‘Top Gear’ presenter Jeremy Clarkson, and Tiff Needell. A father-of-two young daughters, he was born in Birmingham but brought up in Yorkshire, and currently lives in Cheltenham.
taken from mns.cars.co.uk(is a msn site about cars...sorry, i dont have the link now  )
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lilyjammer
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| Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 15:58 |
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It sounds like there is good news - let's hope he has a full and speedy recovery. |
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mr.az
Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 2421
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| Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 16:07 |
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| lilyjammer wrote: |
| It sounds like there is good news - let's hope he has a full and speedy recovery. |
yea, let's hope the best 
be strong, richard¡¡¡¡¡¡¡
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