Richard Hammond critical after crash (UK related)

Shrug · #1 09-20-2006, 04:14 PM

Richard Hammond, co-presenter on Top Gear is in the hospital in critical condition after crashing a jet-powered car he was driving for the show.
Bummer..he is my fav [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
bbc

daveymck · #2 09-20-2006, 04:35 PM

Was doing 280 mph trying to break the land speed record, in some car with jet engine on it.

Fallen Hero · #3 09-20-2006, 04:37 PM

holly [censored]

daveymck · #4 09-20-2006, 04:41 PM

My kids will be gutted if he dies, he does a pretty cool science show for kids as well, him and Steve Irwin in the same month.

Ringo · #5 09-20-2006, 05:40 PM

Fingers crossed for him - he's a great presenter and a cool guy.

samsdmf · #6 09-20-2006, 05:59 PM

This-Sucks

daveymck · #7 09-20-2006, 06:03 PM

Was filming for top gear heres a pic of the car

From Sky news

op Gear presenter Richard Hammond was driving a Vampire jet-engined car when he was seriously injured in a crash.

The 36-year-old was attempting a new British land speed record at an airfield near Leeds.

The Vampire is usually driven by Colin Fallows.

The dragster weighs 2,200 lbs, is 30ft long and drinks seven to 10 gallons per mile of fuel.

It accelerates at 0-272 in six seconds and is powered by a Rolls Royce Orpheus jet engine.

The car is theoretically capable of 370mph.

Fallows and Vampire hold the Outright British Land Speed Record of 300.3mph.

Shrug · #8 09-20-2006, 06:04 PM

Top Gear magazine editor Michael Harvey told BBC News 24: "I've heard stories Richard was touching speeds closer to 300mph then 200mph, and clearly at those kinds of speeds the tiniest little thing has to go wrong and the speed obviously massively exaggerates the consequences of anything going wrong.

"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 which are the main fodder of the Top Gear programme - this was a car that clearly contained its own risks.''

He added: "I know every single precaution will have been taken but something clearly absolutely unaccounted for has gone wrong, and Richard has unfortunately suffered the consequences.''

CopTHIS · #9 09-20-2006, 06:07 PM

He has a wife and two kids too, what a bummer.

jaffa · #10 09-20-2006, 06:08 PM

[censored]. This sucks.

Until about a month ago Richard Hammond was my closest neighbour to my house. This is aweful. I really hope he makes a full recovery.