When did Richard Hammond’s supercar crash take place and how many accidents has the star been involved in?
IT IS fair to say that Richard Hammond has had some close calls in his life.
The Hamster has been involved in some lethal car accidents, both on Top Gear and The Grand Tour.
When was Richard Hammond's supercar crash?
In June 2017, Richard Hammond was airlifted to hospital after cheating death in a horror crash.
The Hamster was driving a £2M supercar in Switzerland when he lost control before it flipped over and burst into flames.
Hammond was treated in hospital with serious injuries – the worst of which was a fractured knee which required an operation.
The crash caused the vehicle to leave the road and mount onto a grassy verge where he managed to escape from the burning vehicle.
A source revealed how he undid his seatbelt to flee just before it flipped down the hill and erupted in a fireball.
The inside said: “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."
Richard was attending a car race in St Gallen when he suffered the crash.
He was driving a Rimac Concept One at the time, an electronic vehicle which can reach speeds of nearly 200mph.
An Amazon spokesperson said at the time: "Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash after completing the Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland in a Rimac Concept One, an electric supercar built in Croatia, during filming for The Grand Tour Season 2 on Amazon Prime, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury."
It was later revealed how Hammond spoke from his hospital bed to apologise to his wife and daughters.
He also revealed how he thought he was going to die during the smash, describing the experience as like being "inside a tumble dryer full of bricks".
Speaking on DriveTribe, the star said: "I was aware that I was up high, and that inevitably the car was going to come down.
"And yeah of course there was a moment of dread - 'Oh God, I'm going to die'.
"And also I was aware that the car was taking just such a beating.
"I mean if you look at those craters, that's a big hole that's just impact and it looks like the thing has been dropped from space to leave a hole that big.
"So yeah I was probably going, 'Well this is it'.
"In fact that is what was going through my mind. I thought, 'I've had it'."
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."
How many other crashes has Richard Hammond had?
Richard has been involved in two serious accidents, both of which left him hospitalised.
In 2006, the TV star was famously involved in a near-fatal crash.
During an episode of Top Gear, Hammond was set and ready to run at speeds around 288mph in a jet-propelled car.
After several runs getting used to the car, on his final run, the front left tyre failed, launching him off the track.
He was then airlifted to the closest hospital and treated for brain damage, including being put into an induced coma.
The dad-of-two later revealed he experienced depression, paranoia and memory loss due to brain damage suffered in the terrible accident.
After the 2006 accident, Richard wowed to give up death-defying stunts for the sake of his family.
He told The Mirror at the time: "I’ve a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters.
"I’m not going to risk leaving them..."
Meanwhile, Hammond has also been had other accidents involving motorbikes.
During an episode of the Grand Tour filmed in Whitby, Yorkshire, Hammond joked about crashing several of the first motorbikes he owned when he was a teenager.
Then in 2017, Hammond was in Mozambique in southern Africa when he came off a motorbike he was riding.
He was knocked out after falling off his ride and hitting his head.
Hammond ended up lying unconscious on the road in the remote area of the country.
He assured everyone that he was fine, but Jeremy Clarkson later admitted that “he [Hammond] really did hurt himself quite badly.”