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| Top Gear presenter 'nearly died' | Top Gear presenter 'nearly died' |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has revealed he was "close to death" after he crashed in a jet-powered car. | Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has revealed he was "close to death" after he crashed in a jet-powered car. |
| The 36-year-old had been driving a 300mph jet-powered dragster when it veered off the track at Elvington airfield, near York, in September. | |
| Mr Hammond was treated for a brain injury at Leeds General Infirmary. | Mr Hammond was treated for a brain injury at Leeds General Infirmary. |
| The father-of-two described in the Daily Mirror how he had been "utterly terrified" and had had a "50/50" chance of surviving the accident. | |
| I may have been dead, I may not have woken up Richard Hammond | I may have been dead, I may not have woken up Richard Hammond |
| Mr Hammond said: "Doctors use a points system. Fifteen is normal, three is a flatline. I was a three. I was that close to being dead. | |
| "It was 50/50 what was going to happen. I may have been dead, I may not have woken up." | "It was 50/50 what was going to happen. I may have been dead, I may not have woken up." |
| The accident happened as Hammond was attempting a land speed record as he was being filmed. | The accident happened as Hammond was attempting a land speed record as he was being filmed. |
| Mr Hammond told the newspaper he still did not know "what went wrong". | Mr Hammond told the newspaper he still did not know "what went wrong". |
| At one stage, surgeons had considered drilling a "bore hole" into his head to drain the blood from his brain to relieve the swelling, but the operation was not deemed necessary. | At one stage, surgeons had considered drilling a "bore hole" into his head to drain the blood from his brain to relieve the swelling, but the operation was not deemed necessary. |
| Hammond has amazed medical staff with his recovery | Hammond has amazed medical staff with his recovery |
| His severe injury reduced him to a "child-like state" in which he became obsessed with Lego, which he said helped him recover. | His severe injury reduced him to a "child-like state" in which he became obsessed with Lego, which he said helped him recover. |
| He suffered short-term memory loss, became disorientated and also endured "excruciating" pain, for which he was prescribed morphine. | He suffered short-term memory loss, became disorientated and also endured "excruciating" pain, for which he was prescribed morphine. |
| Mr Hammond, nicknamed "Hamster", went on to describe his wife Mindy, also 36, as "a rock" who had kept calm throughout his ordeal. | Mr Hammond, nicknamed "Hamster", went on to describe his wife Mindy, also 36, as "a rock" who had kept calm throughout his ordeal. |
| However, he spoke of his heartache at witnessing his eldest daughter Izzy, six, cry as she and her sister Willow, three, left the hospital after visiting him. | However, he spoke of his heartache at witnessing his eldest daughter Izzy, six, cry as she and her sister Willow, three, left the hospital after visiting him. |
| The BBC confirmed Mr Hammond had signed a two-year contract before his accident. | |
| A spokeswoman said: "The contract pre-dates the accident." | A spokeswoman said: "The contract pre-dates the accident." |
| She said the corporation could not confirm the return of Top Gear or any other future projects until it had received an update on Mr Hammond's progress. |
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