# Top Gear presenter critically ill **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475 "2006-09-20T21:35:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/1 "2006-09-20T21:35:59Z")
Sad news, co-presenter of the BBC show Top Gear Richard Hammond is in hospital after crashing a jet powered car during shooting for the show. [BBC news link](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/5365676.stm). Conflicting reports from the ambulance crew and the BBC team at the scene, but I hope he comes out of this ok. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/2 "2006-09-20T21:40:35Z")
Sounds very bad. 280mph jet car turns turtle. I too very much hope he recovers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/3 "2006-09-20T22:03:41Z")
I wonder if he was doing a piece on the [“JATO” car](http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html) urban legend? The Discovery Channel show “Mythbusters” did a fun piece on that one, but they rigged the car to be driven by remote control. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/4 "2006-09-20T22:32:55Z")
Per BBC Radio the Hamster is “Stable” ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/5 "2006-09-20T22:48:31Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] I wonder if he was doing a piece on the [“JATO” car](http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html) urban legend? The Discovery Channel show “Mythbusters” did a fun piece on that one, but they rigged the car to be driven by remote control. [/QUOTE] That was what came to mind to me, too, when reading that article. Bloody hell, I hope he’s alright…Clarkson did all the stupidly-dangerous things in his wilderness years on satellite TV before the rebirth of Top Gear, and now has a family-man perspective. Richard Hammond probably will have been up for anything. Just hope he’s OK. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/6 "2006-09-20T22:49:51Z")
(Oh, and when they did that on Mythbusters, I couldn’t help but think “why isn’t anyone in the car?”) ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/7 "2006-09-20T23:40:51Z")
Coudnt believe this when I heard it earlier- hopefully for the sake of his wife and kids hel come out of it ok. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/8 "2006-09-20T23:59:40Z")
When I heard this story, they said he’d been taken to a neurology ward - suggesting that he’s had serious head injuries. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/9 "2006-09-21T00:11:27Z")
Damn, that’s terrible. I watch Top Gear every chance I get, and he seems like a really nice guy. Unfortunately, given that it’s now the middle of the night in Britain, it’ll probably be a while before we know more. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/10 "2006-09-21T00:29:12Z")
Oh my, and I love watching top gear! Nothing much to add to the thread except my condolences to his wife and kids. I hope he’s alright, he was always my favorite of the trio. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/11 "2006-09-21T00:35:07Z")
He was trying to break the British landspeed record. Looks like he failed. Has at least one young daughter. Very sad. Hopefully he isn’t too bad but it doesn’t look good. I really Top Gear and Hammond. I don’t drive and have no interest in cars. The show is fantastic though. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/12 "2006-09-21T07:58:11Z")
Are his teeth OK? They were expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/13 "2006-09-21T08:58:15Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] I wonder if he was doing a piece on the [“JATO” car](http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html) urban legend? The Discovery Channel show “Mythbusters” did a fun piece on that one, but they rigged the car to be driven by remote control. [/QUOTE] Ironically, the BBC is now showing Mythbusters and the JATO car was on just last night :smack: This was a purposely designed car however, but even so, 280mph on a runway was pushing it somewhat. Reports on the front pages of the tabloids conflicted, from 280 to over 300mph at the time of the crash, but the latter may have been an erroneous report mistaking the previous top speed of the car for Hammond’s. Best of luck to him, especially since he’s a family man (didn’t even realise he was married!) Perhaps James May can be strapped to the next rocket car they test 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/14 "2006-09-21T09:07:05Z")
Fingers crossed. We need short people on TV. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/15 "2006-09-21T09:39:28Z")
He’s improving apparently [linky](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/5366422.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/16 "2006-09-21T16:02:35Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Are his teeth OK? They were expensive. [/QUOTE] Maybe he caught site of himself in the rear view mirror and was momentarily blinded by them. Hope all turns out well. He seems like a realy nice chap on the show. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/17 "2006-09-21T16:30:03Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] This was a purposely designed car however, but even so, 280mph on a runway was pushing it somewhat. [/QUOTE] Amid the confusion of reading numerous reports, I’ve found suggestions that the airfield was the one where the current record was set. And that he wasn’t attempting to break it (at least officially). ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/18 "2006-09-21T16:31:24Z")
More bad news; i’ve heard he’s now suffered a “serious brain injury”. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/19 "2006-09-21T18:19:01Z")
Get well Hamster. Car guys everywhere are rootin’ for ya. (As, I’m sure, quite a few female groupies) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475/20 "2006-09-21T18:29:57Z")
According to the news, the neurologists say “he will recover”. They didn’t say “he will make a full recovery”, which apparently implies there will be some permanent brain damage. Poor chap. ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-gear-presenter-critically-ill/373475.md?page=2)