Jeremy Clarkson and James May feared Richard Hammond was dead after horror car crash

Richard Hammond is lucky to be alive after escaping a horrific car crash almost completely unscathed during filming for The Grand Tour in Switzerland.

Richard’s co-stars, Jeremy Clarkson and James May, have admitted that they feared the 47-year-old presenter was dead after his Rimac Concept One plunged 100ft down a hill and flipped over several times before landing upside down.

Thankfully, Richard had managed to crawl out of the wrecked vehicle just moments before the car burst into flames, he was airlifted to hospital but suffered only a fractured knee in the crash.

Show producer Andy Willman told The Mirror: “Jeremy and James both raced down to the scene of the crash as soon as it happened. When they saw the wreckage on fire they thought Richard was dead. It was really bad.

“They were staggered he had got out of it alive, because there was just nothing left. Everyone is so relieved. If Richard had been a few seconds slower getting out, he would have been incinerated.”

Andy added: “I spoke to Richard at the hospital and although he was very shaken, he was conscious and quite lucid. He has had X-rays and a CT scan and is being kept in for observation by the doctors.

“All he said about his injuries was that his knee hurt a lot, which I’m not surprised about as it now has bolts in it and it is fractured. His only worry was about letting his wife and family know he was OK.

“He has been very lucky – it’s a miracle really and certainly another one of his lives gone!”

Back in 2006, Richard almost died in another accident, suffering serious brain injuries.

Earlier this year he was also involved in a motorbike crash.

Tweeting after news of yesterday’s accident broke, Jeremy wrote: “It was the biggest crash I’ve ever seen and the most frightening and incredibly, and thankfully, Richard seems to be mostly OK.”

Previously, a spokesperson for The Grand Tour said in a statement: “Richard Hammond was involved in a serious crash after completing the Hemburg Hill Climb in Switzerland in a Rimac Concept One, an electric super car built in Croatia, during filming for The Grand Tour Season 2 on Amazon Prime, but very fortunately suffered no serious injury.

“Richard was conscious and talking, and climbed out of the car himself before the vehicle burst into flames. He was flown by Air Ambulance to hospital in St Gallen to be checked over revealing a fracture to his knee.

“Nobody else was in the car or involved in the accident, and we’d like to thank the paramedics on site for their swift response. The cause of the crash is unknown and is being investigated.”

Richard and his wife Mindy have two daughters together, 16-year-old Izzy and 13-year-old Willow.

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