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It should have been a hussar ride and turned into a horror ride. He felt guilty because he asked the BBC producers for a challenge in which he wanted to be ‘bloody fast’ – and almost took away his daughters’ father. Richard Hammond remembers his 2006 accident with these thoughts.
While filming “Top Gear,” the now 54-year-old was in a serious accident in a jet-powered dragster after a tire came off the car at more than 290 mph and the vehicle began to sway. “I had a feeling of regret, but at the same time a question arose in me that I had always wanted to answer: ‘When is my turn?’” Hammond reflected in an interview with ‘The Sun’. Then he realized, “Oh, now’s the time.”
“I couldn’t do anything anymore”
Hammond survived without physical injury, but was in a coma for two weeks. After regaining consciousness, he struggled with memory loss and depression. Two years after the crash, he was very concerned about his health, as his doctors had actually expected him to recover more quickly. An expert friend of his was able to reassure him at the time by explaining that in such a case a long period of regeneration was normal.
The emotional side of the accident also took its toll on the father of two. Finally, “I have the responsibility, I have two beautiful daughters, Izzy and Willow – they are my everything.” And the crazy journey had finally taken place at his request and insistence. “But it was just an accident and there was nothing I could do about it.” That eased the guilt.
The car rolled over several times
Naturally, the passion for fast cars continued, which resulted in another serious accident on June 10, 2017. During filming, now for the TV show “The Grand Tour”, Hammond had a serious accident with an electric speedster during the hill climb in Hemberg SG. The car left the track and rolled over several times.
«The team drove around the circuit three times. “On the third lap, the white 2 million Rimac came off the road and caught fire,” a reader reporter told Blick at the time. Hammond was able to free himself from the burning wreckage and escaped with a broken leg. He recovered and was back in jail two months later behind the wheel.
Since these accidents, he has thought a lot about his feelings and mental health. He recently started his own podcast called ‘Who We Are Now’, which he hosts together with his daughter Izzy (24). (dmo)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
