Top Gear

Richard Hammond says no more death-defying stunts

After 2 major incidents within an 11 year period, Richard Hammond has vowed to give up on all death-defying stunts and do everything he can to reduce his risk exposure while filming future episodes of The Grand Tour. This comes after he was knocked out after falling off a motorcycle while filming a new episode of the Amazon show, and he has since promised not to put himself in danger again.

“I’ve a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters,” Hammond told The Mirror. I’m not going to risk leaving them…”

Hammond, who was filming in Mozambique with The Grand Tour, was knocked out after falling from the bike and hitting his head. He lay unconscious on the road in remote Mozambique, miles from medical help.

Jeremy Clarkson said of his friend’s horror motorbike crash: “He really did hurt himself quite badly.”

After the smash, he assured fans he was OK, writing in a post on motoring social media site DriveTribe, titled Yes, I fell off but yes, I’m fine. Sorry.

He wrote: “I can confirm that yes, I fell off a. bike, many times, in fact and yes, I banged my head and everything else. But life goes on.It’s true, I did fall off a motorbike whilst filming recently for The Grand Tour in Mozambique. I banged my head, yes, along with pretty much everything else apart from my left thumb, which remains un-bruised.”

Hammond is no stranger to high speed accidents

Just 11 years ago, Richard Hammond was severely injured when he crashed a jet-powered dragster he was piloting, called Vampire. The Vampire once held the British land speed record at 483.3kph (483mph) and was powered by a single Bristol-Siddeley Orpheus after-burning turbojet engine, producing 10,000hp. Some say the accident occurred during an attempt by Richard to break the British land speed record, but a report following accident found that Top Gear producer Andy Wilman vetoed the idea, due to the risk involved.

vampire

The accident happened whilst Richard was completing a 7th and final run to collect extra footage for the segment, when his front-right tyre disintegrated, and according to witness and paramedic Dave Ogden, “one of the parachutes had deployed but it went on to the grass and spun over and over before coming to a rest about 100 yards from us.”

The emergency crew quickly arrived at the car, finding it inverted and partially embedded in the grass. During the roll, Richard’s helmet had embedded itself into the ground, flipping the visor up and forcing soil into his mouth and damaging his left eye. Rescuers felt a pulse and heard the unconscious Richard breathing before the car was turned upright. Richard was cut free with hydraulic shears, and placed on a backboard. He was then transported by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance to the neurological unit of the Leeds General Infirmary.

Richard Hammond said the accident changed him and is now filed away “under the major events of my life, along with passing 40, getting married, having my daughters.”

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