Richard Hammond airlifted to hospital after cheating death in horror crash in Switzerland
FORMER Top Gear star Richard Hammond has been airlifted to hospital after cheating death in a horror crash in Switzerland.
The Grand Tour host, 47, was driving a supercar worth £2million for the Amazon show when he lost control before it flipped and then burst into flames.
The presenter, who nearly died in a car crash in 2006, is now being treated in hospital with serious injuries – the worst of which is a fractured knee.
The TV star left the road and mounted a grassy verge where he managed to be pulled from the burning vehicle.
He was attending a car race in St Gallen, Switzerland, when he suffered the crash.
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Richard, who presents the big budget show with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, was then taken to hospital by the local air ambulance where is now being treated.
It is thought he was driving a Rimac supercar at the time, an electronic vehicle which can reach speeds of nearly 200mph.
A source said: “Richard is conscious but very shaken.
“He is currently being treated in hospital for a fractured knee and having the once over. It’s quite incredible he’s come away from this with nothing more serious quite frankly.
“The crash was really bad. The car completely flipped and then burst into flames.
"There was real concern for Richard but the emergency services were quickly on hand and he’s a very lucky boy.
"It brought back horrendous memories of the 2006 crash for those who witnessed it."
An Amazon spokeswoman told The Sun: "Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash after completing the Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland in a Rimac Concept One, an electric super car built in Croatia, during filming for The Grand Tour Season 2 on Amazon Prime, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury.
"Richard was conscious and talking, and climbed out of the car himself before the vehicle burst into flames.
"He was flown by Air Ambulance to hospital in St Gallen to be checked over revealing a fracture to his knee.
"Nobody else was in the car or involved in the accident, and we'd like to thank the paramedics on site for their swift response. The cause of the crash is unknown and is being investigated.”
His co-star Jeremy Clarkson said: "It was the biggest crash I've ever seen and the most frightening but incredibly, and thankfully, Richard seems to be mostly OK."
He lay unconscious in the road in remote Mozambique, miles from medical help.
And 11 years ago Richard, affectionately nicknamed Hamster, almost died in a 288mph collision on BBC2 show Top Gear.
Dad-of-two Richard was in a coma for two weeks in 2006 after the jet-powered car he was piloting for Top Gear crashed.
Its right tyre blew as he tried to set a land speed record at RAF Elvington near York.
He was airlifted to hospital in Leeds. Richard later revealed he suffered depression, paranoia and memory loss due to brain damage.
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