Richard Hammond’s Spouse Pulled Him Out of His Crash-Induced Coma

It’s onerous to consider how lengthy it’s been since Richard Hammond practically died in a crash whereas filming a section for the BBC’s Prime Gear. In September 2006, Hammond strapped right into a dragster referred to as Vampire, powered by a turbojet engine, and got down to display what it’s wish to drive a land-speed car at 300-plus mph. Towards the top of the day of filming, although, the automobile had a tire blowout at 310 mph and went right into a violent roll. Hammond was reduce out of the automobile and evacuated; he spent two weeks in a coma, and medical doctors gave him a slim probability of survival.

Now, in a newly-released video on YouTube, Hammond takes us by what he skilled whereas he was in that coma, and the way his spouse helped carry him again to consciousness.

For such a heavy matter, Hammond approaches it immediately, with a practical matter-of-factness that’s constructed on a robust basis of optimism. This brief however extremely touching video might have simply turn out to be maudlin, overwrought within the title of being inspirational. As a substitute, we get the very best of Richard Hammond: Severe with out self-pity, easy however weighted with that means.

Hammond beat unbelievable odds, not solely surviving the horrific crash however quite swiftly returning to TV and the antics of the Prime Gear crew. Sixteen years after the actual fact, it may be simple to overlook simply how grim issues regarded for awhile.

(It’s additionally price mentioning that the 2006 crash barely appears to have slowed Hammond down — in 2017, he had one other huge high-speed crash throughout filming, this time driving a Rimac electrical supercar, which itself got here proper after a fairly dangerous motorbike crash in Mozambique.)

Hammond talks by it higher than I ever might. This can be a brief video; a automobile by no means seems. However for anybody whose automobile enthusiasm flourished on account of watching Prime Gear, and anybody who marvels at what the human physique and thoughts can endure, it’s effectively price a couple of minutes of your time. We’re glad Hammond continues to be round to encourage us.