11/09/2007

Top Gear Presenter Hammond Involved In Crash

Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has been involved in another car crash, less than a year after he nearly died in a 288mph crash.

The BBC confirmed that Hammond, 37, skidded off the track while participating in a 24-hour Le Mans-style race at Silverstone on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the BBC said that Hammond was taking part in the race, along with co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May and masked driver 'The Stig', when the crash occurred. The four were taking it in turns to drive a £100,000 BMW 330 DTi Sport.

The spokesperson said: "During the race, at night, Richard was driving and another car shunted him off the track.

"Richard wasn't hurt at all, but the car was damaged. It was taken back to the pits and repaired before Richard carried on with the race."

Hammond has played down the incident, telling reporters that the crash was "a bit of a collision". He said: "During one of my driving stints, a much faster car tried to overtake and there was a bit of a collision. It was nobody's fault.

"I managed to limp the car to the side of the track and wait for a truck to take me back to the pits, where it was quickly fixed."

Last September, Hammond was seriously injured in a 288mph crash in the jet-powered Vampire dragster at the former RAF Elvington airfield near York.

He was treated in hospital for swelling to the brain but made a full recovery.

The crash was shown on an episode of 'Top Gear' in January this year.

The cause of the crash was later judged to be a blowout of the front right tyre.

(KMcA/SP)

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