According to the paragon of plebian pulp, London's Evening Standard, after our earlier report of the 280mph car crash in the Vampire jet-carTop Gear co-host Richard Hammond is
"...fighting for his life...after an attempt to break the land speed record ended in disaster.
Hammond, who was filming for a forthcoming episode of the BBC2 show, crashed at speeds of up to 280mph, overturning his jet-powered car several times."
We still know next to nothing about the severity of Hammond's injuries, and calls placed to people we know at the show, as well as to BBC PR reps have yielded nothing but a busy number, an answering machine and one very upset woman yelling something about a wrong number in cockney. And after just taking a look at the BBC's site, we're even more worried as they've now placed a "Profile" piece up on Hammond. Although we now know he's the proud owner of a '69 Dodge Charger — here in the US, a "Profile" piece is usually reserved for times when there's a genuine fear someone may be...
...leaving this plane of existence. We're hoping in the UK it's a sign of good luck or maybe that they're getting ready to serve fish n' chips at the pub.
The only good news we've seen have come from a couple of the show's crew members who claim they saw Hammond walk from the vehicle to the ambulance, contradicting the "fighting for his life" and "critical condition" reports we've also seen. We're hoping the crew saw it right and it wasn't just a paramedic who happened to be the same height as Hammond. Keep checking back here as we'll be keeping tabs on the story throughout the night.
Top Gear's Richard Hammond critical after 280mph crash [Evening Standard]
Profile: Richard Hammond [BBC]
UPDATE: Huzzah! Richard Hammond Now Described In "Stable Condition" After Jet-Car Crash
UPDATE #2: Scene Of The Crash: BBC Video Report On Richard Hammond
Related:
Update! Sky News Reports Top Gear's Richard Hammond Driving Vampire Jet Car At 280 Mph At Time Of Accident; Breaking! Top Gear Presenter Richard Hammond In Car Crash; Richard Hammond [internal]