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<blockquote data-quote="Lee36328" data-source="post: 170522" data-attributes="member: 113">Richard Hammond UpdateHere&#039;s wishing the guy a speedy and full recovery.The Times&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; September 23, 2006&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Was I driving like an idiot, Hammond asks&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; By Marcus Leroux&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Just 30 hours after his 300mph crash, the Top Gear presenter spoke to his colleague Jeremy Clarkson&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/trans.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; THE moment that Richard Hammond opened his eyes, spoke and took the first steps since his 300mph car crash was described by his Top Gear co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson last night.&nbsp;&nbsp; NI_MPU(&#039;middle&#039;);“In the wee small hours [late on Thursday night] Richard Hammond suddenly sat up in bed, opened his eyes and asked what had happened,” Clarkson said. He had replied: “You’ve been in a car accident.” Hammond asked whether he had been driving stupidly “before getting out of bed and walking, shakily, to the lavatory”, Clarkson writes in today’s Sun.&nbsp; Yesterday another co-presenter, James May, visited Hammond, 36, in hospital and had a brief conversation with him. “I’m not a doctor but I am his mate and I believe that deep inside the Hammond I know is perfectly intact,” May said. The plan had been for May to drive the dragster on Wednesday, when the crash had happened, but he was replaced by Hammond because he had another commitment. The accident took place during an attempt to break the British land-speed record in a jet-powered car at Elvington airfield, near York. Yesterday Leeds General Infirmary said: “Richard Hammond is making satisfactory progress.” His status has been downgraded to “stable” from “serious but stable” and he has been moved from intensive care to a high-dependency unit. Clarkson also writes in the newspaper of the immediate aftermath of the crash. After a few minutes of unconsciousness Hammond said: “I want to do a piece to camera.” Hammond began fighting with the ambulancemen who tried to prevent him, Clarkson writes. The BBC announced yesterday that it was postponing the new series of The Best of Top Gear, which was to have started tomorrow week as a precursor to the series for which Hammond was filming.&nbsp; Police and Health and Safety Executive inspectors were continuing to investigate the crash to discover what went wrong and who, if anybody, is to blame. The BBC could be prosecuted and given an unlimited fine if it is found not to have taken the necessary steps to ensure Mr Hammond’s safety. The Health and Safety Executive said that inspectors were looking at the BBC’s planning and preparation of the record attempt and that the police were examining Vampire, the dragster that Hammond had been driving. It would be weeks before the investigation was concluded, a spokesman said.The inspectors will call on experts to help them to determine whether mechanical failure was an element in the crash. The spokesman said that the inspectors’ decision on whether to prosecute would depend on whether they believed that the BBC did not take adequate steps to prevent the accident and, if adequate steps were not taken, on the level of negligence. A group of motoring enthusiasts have raised almost £55,000 in donations and gift aid for the helicopter ambulance that took Hammond to hospital. Wellwishers on the internet forum <a href="http:///" target="_blank">pistonheads.com </a>set up a webpage (<a href="http://www.justgiving.com/phrichardhammond" target="_blank">www.justgiving.com/phrichardhammond</a> ) so that contributions could be made to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity. They had hoped to cover the cost of Hammond’s flight to hospital, but the fundraising target has now been updated to the equivalent of 151 flights.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lee36328, post: 170522, member: 113"] Richard Hammond Update Here's wishing the guy a speedy and full recovery. The Times September 23, 2006 [B]Was I driving like an idiot, Hammond asks[/B] By Marcus Leroux [B]Just 30 hours after his 300mph crash, the [I]Top Gear[/I] presenter spoke to his colleague Jeremy Clarkson[/B] [IMG]http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/trans.gif[/IMG] THE moment that Richard Hammond opened his eyes, spoke and took the first steps since his 300mph car crash was described by his [I]Top Gear[/I] co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson last night. NI_MPU('middle'); “In the wee small hours [late on Thursday night] Richard Hammond suddenly sat up in bed, opened his eyes and asked what had happened,” Clarkson said. He had replied: “You’ve been in a car accident.” Hammond asked whether he had been driving stupidly “before getting out of bed and walking, shakily, to the lavatory”, Clarkson writes in today’s [I]Sun[/I]. Yesterday another co-presenter, James May, visited Hammond, 36, in hospital and had a brief conversation with him. “I’m not a doctor but I am his mate and I believe that deep inside the Hammond I know is perfectly intact,” May said. The plan had been for May to drive the dragster on Wednesday, when the crash had happened, but he was replaced by Hammond because he had another commitment. The accident took place during an attempt to break the British land-speed record in a jet-powered car at Elvington airfield, near York. Yesterday Leeds General Infirmary said: “Richard Hammond is making satisfactory progress.” His status has been downgraded to “stable” from “serious but stable” and he has been moved from intensive care to a high-dependency unit. Clarkson also writes in the newspaper of the immediate aftermath of the crash. After a few minutes of unconsciousness Hammond said: “I want to do a piece to camera.” Hammond began fighting with the ambulancemen who tried to prevent him, Clarkson writes. The BBC announced yesterday that it was postponing the new series of [I]The[/I] [I]Best of Top Gear[/I], which was to have started tomorrow week as a precursor to the series for which Hammond was filming. Police and Health and Safety Executive inspectors were continuing to investigate the crash to discover what went wrong and who, if anybody, is to blame. The BBC could be prosecuted and given an unlimited fine if it is found not to have taken the necessary steps to ensure Mr Hammond’s safety. The Health and Safety Executive said that inspectors were looking at the BBC’s planning and preparation of the record attempt and that the police were examining [I]Vampire[/I], the dragster that Hammond had been driving. It would be weeks before the investigation was concluded, a spokesman said.The inspectors will call on experts to help them to determine whether mechanical failure was an element in the crash. The spokesman said that the inspectors’ decision on whether to prosecute would depend on whether they believed that the BBC did not take adequate steps to prevent the accident and, if adequate steps were not taken, on the level of negligence. A group of motoring enthusiasts have raised almost £55,000 in donations and gift aid for the helicopter ambulance that took Hammond to hospital. Wellwishers on the internet forum [URL="http:///"]pistonheads.com [/URL]set up a webpage ([URL="http://www.justgiving.com/phrichardhammond"]www.justgiving.com/phrichardhammond[/URL] ) so that contributions could be made to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity. They had hoped to cover the cost of Hammond’s flight to hospital, but the fundraising target has now been updated to the equivalent of 151 flights. [/QUOTE]

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