Top Gear Man In Crash
Updated: 20:41, Wednesday September 20, 2006
Richard Hammond, one of the presenters of TV's Top Gear programme, is reportedly in critical condition following a car crash.
Mr Hammond was hurt while filming an edition of the show and taken to Leeds' General Infirmary.
He was reportedly driving a jet-powered Vampire car when it overturned.
Mr Hammond was said to have been reaching speeds of up to 280mph as the accident happened.
Firefighter Dave Ogden, who witnessed the crash, told Sky News that the presenter was able to speak as he was taken out of the wreckage of the car.
Inspector Mike Thompson, of North Yorkshire Police, said officers were dealing with the incident at the airfield northeast of York where the filming was taking place.
He said: "At 5.45pm this evening we received a report via the fire service of a male person trapped in what was described as an overturned jet car which had been driven on the airfield.
"The male occupant has received serious injuries and has been airlifted to hospital at Leeds."
A spokeswoman for the BBC, which produces Top Gear, said: "The incident happened quite recently and the focus of our attention is on Richard at this stage."
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