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Hammond takes his first steps to recovery
Last updated at 15:22pm on 23.09.06
Richard Hammond has taken his first steps on the road to recovery as he got up and walked, just 30 hours after his 280mph crash in a jet-powered dragster.
The 36-year-old Top Gear star is in a stable condition at Leeds General Infirmary where friends and family have been keeping a bedside vigil following Wednesday's accident at Elvington airfield, near York.
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The injured presenter, affectionately known as 'the hamster' on TopGear spoke to his colleagues on Thursday night:
"Just 30 hours after what is almost certainly the world's fastest ever car crash, Richard Hammond suddenly sat up in bed opened his eyes and asked what had happened," Jeremy Clarkson told the Sun.
"'You've been in a car accident,' I said. 'Was I driving like a tw t?' he asked. Before getting out of bed and walking shakily to the lavatory."
Hammond, who has been moved out of intensive care, had not lost his sense of humour. Mr Clarkson said his first words to co-presenter James May was "Hello C**kface."
"Two years ago, Richard Hammond, James May and I agreed on a plan of action should on of us be killed while making our show, TopGear," Clarkson added.
"We decided that after the announcement of the death was made in the following week's show, the next word should be 'anyway'.
"It was a sort of joke. But then this week, it sort of wasn't."
The presenter suffered a 'significant brain injury' when the 370mph jet-powered Vampire dragster he was driving at speeds up to 300mph veered off the runway, flipped over several times and crashed on to the grass. He was airlifted to hospital.
Police and Health and Safety Executive investigations are continuing to establish exactly what went wrong in the incident which happened during filming for the BBC2 motoring show.
However, Mr Clarkson has hit out at questions raised about the safety of the latest tragic car stunt.
"People are saying that our producers push us to do more and more dangerous stunts in a bid for ratings. Rubbish. Our producers spend their whole lives filling in health and safety forms and asking 'are you sure?'
"It's the presenters who come up with the hare-brained ideas and trans-continental races...not the background boys or the suits."
James May, issued a statement saying: "I've had a conversation with Hammond. Not a long one, but it was a conversation. I want to say this - doctors are cautiously optimistic about his recovery because doctors have to be.
"I'm not a doctor but I am his mate and I believe that deep inside the Hammond I know is perfectly intact."
A hospital spokesman said that yesterday morning the presenter been moved from intensive care on to a high dependency unit. "His condition has been downgraded from 'serious but stable' to 'stable'," he added.
Neurosurgery experts have said the fact that Hammond was able to regain some consciousness in the immediate aftermath of the crash could bolster hopes of a good recovery.
But neurosurgeon John Firth, of Nottingham, said the first 10 days could be crucial in determining the outcome.
Hammond is understood to have undertaken a number of runs before the one which ended in the crash. May had been due to make the run but Hammond had taken over.
A BBC spokeswoman confirmed the final part of the Best of Top Gear, which was due to be screened on October 1, had been postponed indefinitely.
His wife Mindy told the Daily Mirror: "The whole family is overwhelmed by everyone's support. There have been so many flowers, cards and emails from around the world.
"To know that so many people love him is astounding. We want to thank everyone for their good wishes and prayers."
Reader views (17)
Wishing Richard a full recovery
Top Gear and Braniac are favourites here with all the family
Safety is paramount but you have to be able to have some fun!
Good luck and God bless
- Liz Martin, Bury England
Praying you recover completely and get back in the drivers seat asap!
- Reynolds Family, Alice Springs, Australia
Hey Richard,
I really hope you recover from this ok because everyone who watches Top Gear at my school thinks that you were the best presenter ever!
We wish you all the best and here's hoping you get back to filming soon 
- Simon Lenton, Grays, Essex, United Kingdom
Come on Mr Hammond, you might be little but we all know that the little people make the best recoverys. So you get well soon Mate. Who else is gonna drive cars into swimming pools and get invited into old ladies caravans on bad holidays.
- Stacie Dilkes, Southend, England
Here's to wishing Richard Hammond a full recovery. I look forward to seeing you back behind the wheel and camera with a big smile on your face! Everyone I know watches and enjoys Top Gear and the great banter between the 3 hosts (let's not forget 'the stig'). We are slowly being strangled by greater restrictions by the big boys and corporationd, so I hope that an accident won't be the end of Top Gear!! - Let boys be boys and never lose their crazy sense of fun and adventure!! And anyway... what else is there to watch on todays terrible television line-up if there wasn't Top Gear?! Richard, your family, your team, and our audience needs you!
- Camilla James, SW15, London
Top Gear is one of the Best and Brightest of the BBC. I love it and will always take time to watch it, whether on the TV or the net.
I hope this accident doesn't cancel the show or castrate it. Top Gear is top notch, honest TV, everything I expect from the BBC in general.
Best wishes and a speedy full recovery to Richard!
- Ed Mccaffrey, Tampa, FL USA
Head injuries are serious. There may not be a quick recovery and, sadly, Richard's career may be at an end.
- Jon Norfolk, Norfolk UK
Top Gear is excellent entertainment.
I hope Richard recovers and I look forward to another more of his enthusiastic present of a subject he loves “Cars”.
- I Young, Northants
Don't judge anyone yet, just hope Richard makes a full recovery. All the best to him.
- Mick, Birmingham, U.K.
I do not have a clue about cars but Top Gear is one of my favourite programmes. The presenters are all highly entertaining and choose to do these dangerous stunts for that purpose. I wish Richard the best and hope he has a quick recovery.
- Bec, Essex
Comments relating to wasting license money are unfounded - Top Gear is one of the BBC's highest performing shows in terms of overseas sales. 300 million people around the world watch it, meaning it makes the BBC vastly more money than it actually costs to make the show.
You want to save license money then how about we axe "Strictly Come Watch a Bunch of Has-Beens and News Presenters" and other rubbish like it?
- Paul, London
Hey, there's lots they shouldn't be spending our licence money on but at least this this show is highly enjoyable!
- Rachelle, London
While I sympathise with Hammond, his family and friends, I do not think our Licence money should be spent on highly unsociable laddish pranks.
- Bob, London
No it's not time to pull the show from our schedules - it's one of the few decent shows on terrestrial these days. As sad as this incident is, people are injured in all kinds of accidents and always will be. That's life!
- Paul, London
Pulling the show would be spineless - dont do it!
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke
This is the last breath of fresh air left on TV in our hyper nanny state, Hammond would be the last person to want the series pulled and I hope he fully recovers and carries on with it.
- Brommers, Bracknell, UK
Isn't it time to pull the programme from the schedules?
- Dhanraj, Basildon
