Richard Hammond 'suffered significant brain injury' say doctors

BLADDER_MASTER · Sep 21, 2006

Richard Hammond 'suffered significant brain injury' say doctors

Doctors at Leeds General Infirmary have said Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond had suffered a significant brain injury in his high speed accident.

However, they added they are "reasonably optimistic he will make a good recovery".

The news comes hours after co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson told of his distress at learning Hammond had been critically injured in a 300mph crash.

Clarkson drove from his London home to Leeds General Infirmary to join his close friend's wife Mindy.

And at Hammond's home in Gloucestershire his father Alan fought back tears as he said: "We are just hoping that Richard pulls through. At the moment we are not sure if he is going to live or die. His children Isabella and Willow are very confused by the whole situation."

And Clarkson said: "James May and I are at the hospital in Leeds where Richard remains in intensive care.

"Obviously at this time both he and his family are the most important concerns.

"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."

Hammond, 36, was attempting to break the land speed record for the BBC2 show in a jet-powered Vampire dragster yesterday when it veered off and somersaulted.

The father of two suffered serious head injuries in the crash at an airfield in Elvington, North Yorkshire. He had to be cut free from the wreckage and was airlifted to hospital strapped into a neck brace.

Hammond, was said to be "coherent and laughing and joking" as he was put into the air ambulance.

Leeds General Infirmary said: "His condition has improved but Richard remains in a serious but stable condition."

Today it emerged that he had deployed a parachute to try to slow down after hitting top speed when the car suddenly flipped over.

Former firefighter Dave Ogden, whose firm was providing emergency cover for the attempt on the British record of 300.3mph, said the crash happened on the last run of the day.

He added: "They were planning to finish when it veered off to the right. It went on to the grass and spun over and over before coming to rest about 100 yards from us."

He said his crew found the car upside down and dug into the grass. "He was regaining consciousness and said he had some lower back pain. But he was drifting in and out of consciousness."

David Tremayne, a speed record historian, said the fact that the 10,000-horse power Vampire rolled on to grass would have helped. "There is a little bit of give. It is more forgiving than concrete."

Because the event was being filmed by the BBC it is classed as a workplace accident and the Health and Safety Executive will investigate.

A spokesman said: "The competence of the driver should have been taken into account in the BBC risk assessment."

And Richard Noble, a former holder of the world land speed record, today called for a full investigation.

He said: "To undertake this kind of test a driver has to be very experienced."

Later, the dragster, covered in a tarpaulin, was lifted on to the back of a low-loading lorry and taken away for detailed forensic examination at a secret location.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=406197&in_page_id=1770

OUTRNNR · Sep 21, 2006

Poor Hamster

ghoztrider · Sep 21, 2006

he was going fast

e_andree · Sep 26, 2006

Sucks

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Richard Hammond 'suffered significant brain injury' say doctors

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