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Top Gear's Richard Hammond seriously injured


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Found this out last night. Apparantly he was testing a jet car to try to break the british land speed record and lost control of it. He has moved from critical to stable condition, but ive read of possible brain damage. I really hope he pulls through relatively unharmed (permenantly). I really love top gear and he was a great asset to the show. I also hope the show doesnt get killed or watered down because of this.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/09_september/21/hammond.shtml

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You will not be surprised to find that as he is such a well liked presenter, we get updates on National news here in the UK all the time.

 

Jeremy Clarkson has come out and commented that everywhere he drives people are pipping their horns, winding their windows down and shouting best wishes for the Hamster. He literally has a nation holding it's breath and hoping for the best.

 

The police are now investigating as are the HSE (Health and Safety Executive - a government safety body) because as always the powers that be have to find somebody to blame. They are shouting about going too far in pursuit of ratings ....

 

There were fire teams and medics there - an ambulance got to him in 2 minutes, he was lifted by air ambulance straight to the specialist neurosurgical unit at Leeds General Infirmary which is possibly one of the best centres of it's kind in the UK.

 

He was a very brave guy attempting a very hard to beat land speed record which is inherently dangerous. Would be cool if the powers that be could focus on helping him get better not looking for someone to blame.

 

Good luck Richard

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Sorry for banging so much text in - here is the latest update I have seen :

 

Doctors are hopeful that Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond will make a good recovery after suffering a "significant brain injury'' in a high-speed jet car crash.

 

The 36-year-old star remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital after the 370mph jet-powered car he was driving crashed on Wednesday.

 

Friends and family are keeping a bedside vigil at Leeds General Infirmary.

 

Hammond was airlifted to hospital after the record-breaking Vampire dragster veered off the runway, flipped over several times and crashed on to grass at Elvington airfield near York.

 

Doctors said Hammond's injury gave them "cause for concern'' but added that they were "reasonably optimistic'' he would make a good recovery.

 

Meanwhile, Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson paid tribute to father-of-two Hammond as he visited him in Leeds with co-presenter James May.

- Jeremy ClarksonClarkson revealed that he had made Hammond smile during the visit by calling him "a crap driver''.

 

He told The Sun: "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.''

 

Police and safety experts are investigating the crash, which happened after Hammond had been driving at speeds close to 300mph as part of filming.

 

May was originally due to drive the Vampire for the programme, but switched places with his colleague ahead of the event.

 

May said: "Despite everything he's been through he still seems like the Richard I know and love.''

 

Organisers - who have denied reports that Hammond was trying to break the British land speed record - said the "highest'' safety standards had been followed in preparation for filming.

 

Primetime Land Speed Engineering, which is jointly run by the current British land speed record holder Colin Fallows, said they were "deeply shocked'' by the accident.

 

Spokesman Malcolm Pittwood said he did not know how fast Hammond was going when he crashed but he was less than half way down the 1.8-mile runway when the accident happened.

 

Keith King, a principal inspector with the Health & Safety Executive, said the HSE would be looking at the preparation and planning for the event.

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