Top Gear's horrific accidents

Jan 04, 2024

BBC Top Gear presenters including Freddie Flintoff, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson have been involved in a number of horrifying accidents and near death experience

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BBC motoring programme Top Gear recently announced that it had paused filming, after host Freddie Flintoff was involved in an accident on-set.

The England cricketer was involved in an accident on the show's test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, Surrey in December 2022, and had to be airlifted to hospital after suffering broken rips and facial injuries.

The BBC assured viewers that Freddie's injuries were not life-threatening, but has since paused production on the latest series of Top Gear, saying in a statement: "Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34 of Top Gear at this time."

READ MORE: Top Gear's original Stig urges BBC to stop celeb hosts taking part in stunts

Freddie's accident is just one of a number that have taken place on the programme throughout the years, with former presenters also involved in a number of incidents - including a near fatal crash and suffering broken bones.

Two years before Freddie Flintoff's on-set accident, the presenter was involved in a high-speed crash.

In 2020, Freddie was nearly killed while taking part in a challenge at York's Elvington Airfield, which required the presenter to lie down on his front.

However, he overshot the track and lost control while travelling at a speed of 124mph.

Freddie could be heard on his headcam saying: "I can't stop - I'm running out of runway," but fortunately survived the crash.

Speaking on the programme about the incident, he added: "I go to great lengths to make sure I do well in Top Gear drag races.

"But on this occasion, I went a few lengths too far! It will look more ridiculous than dangerous when you see it on TV."

Former Top Gear host Richard Hammond was involved in a near-fatal crash in 2006, when the star was driving a jet-powered dragster called Vampire.

He was driving the dragster at 320mph at the former RAF Elvington airbase in York, but when was left with serious injuries after it crashed.

Richard suffered a brain injury and had to be cut free from the vehicle before being rushed to hospital, where he remained on life support and in a medically induced coma.

Doctors told Richard's wife that they did not think that he was going to survive, with the star revealing to The Mirror that he woke up after hearing his wife's voice.

"Apparently she roared and screamed and swore at me 'don't you dare die', and that's when I woke," he said.

Richard made a full recovery and returned to Top Gear in 2007, with the star opening up about the crash on Good Morning Britain.

He explained that he initially found it difficult to watch footage of the crash, saying: "I think I did for a while but not so much now. Not really. I have now - but not a lot, no. It was quite bumpy."

The presenter also revealed that the Vampire Dragster was recently reconstructed, saying it was "genuinely weird" to get back in the car he almost died in.

He got back in the reconstructed car as part of a video for the DriveTribe YouTube channel, which he co-founded with Jeremy Clarkson and James May and shared a snap on Instagram of the moment.

The post was captioned: "I've done what I said I'd never do, and got back in the car that almost killed me. Watch the video on the DriveTribe YouTube channel."

Jeremy Clarkson revealed that his "head was dislodged from his spine," after sustaining injuries during an accident involving a truck.

In 2008, the former Top Gear presenter was driving a Renault Magnum truck in a staged stunt challenge to "see how difficult it was to be a truck driver," according to the BBC.

However, the truck that Jeremy was driving hit a brick wall - causing damage to his spine and his ankle, as well as bruising his leg and back.

He also suffered an injury to his torso after driving at high speed and not wearing a seatbelt, causing him to slide across the cab and hit his torso on the gear shifter.

Speaking during the episode, he could be heard saying: "My ankle burst where the clutch pedal went through the wall.

"And my head was dislodged from my spine due to the impact."

Speaking about the high-speed crash, a Top Gear spokesperson said at the time: "Before the stunt was carried out a full health and safety assessment was carried out.

"Jeremy has made a full recovery."

The presenter has since opened up about the crash to The Sun, saying at the time: "I emerged from my high speed head-on impact in what can only be described as screaming agony. I couldn't walk. I couldn't talk. I couldn't think."

Jeremy suffered a number of accidents during his time on Top Gear, including breaking a bone while taking part in the Cheap Car Challenge.

The presenter crashed his Volvo 760 GLE into a wall during the challenge and subsequently broke his thumb bone.

During a separate challenge two years later, he also slipped two discs in his back as he attempted to power slide at high speed in a TVR Sagaris.

James May suffered a concussion while taking part in one Top Gear challenge - but was not actually inside the car.

Instead, the former presenter tried to help Richard Hammond pull Jeremy's MX5 up a slope during series 16 and was thrown to the ground by the recovery strap.

He hit is head on a rock as he fell, causing the presenter to suffer concussion.

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