I just finished reading this book about Top Gear co- presenter, Richard Hammond. I found this book inspiring and entertaining. Here is a summary of what happened after his life changing car crash.

On the 20th of September 2006, on Elvington Airfield, Richard Hammond almost lost his life. Richard Hammond lost control of the 10,000hp rocket car named the Vampire at 288 mp/h (463km/h) and was sent plunging into the grass upside down while still going at 230 mp/h. He was drifting in and out of consciousness while being air lifted to Leeds General Infirmantry. Richard arrived at Leeds and was placed in the intensive care unit while in a deep coma. Every now and then a Nurse would come in and test for his signs of life such as getting him to squeeze her fingers, which he failed to do and opening his eyes, again he could not do.

Days after he had come into Leeds General Infirmantry he finally showed that he was still there and that he was making a recovery. He squeezed the Nurse’s fingers very hard and she yelped. Mindy, Richard’s wife was always there by his side and did not sleep for days. While Mindy was downstairs in the Café one day, suddenly Richard’s brother broke out through the doors and yelled “He is up and he is walking around the room!”, Mindy rushed as fast as she could to his room and with a loud and happy cry she held her husband tightly in her arms.

Now was the time to move Richard from this hospital, out in nowhere, back to another hospital closer and more private because of the increasing numbers of press. They arranged a helicopter to secretly fly him to a Bristol Hospital closer to his home in Gloucester. He was taken to Bristol the next day and moved into the recovery ward of the hospital. Richard couldn’t handle the stress of being in a hospital for weeks and just wanted to go home. He needed a break from all the stress and disruptions in his life at that moment, so the Doctors and Mindy decided to go out to Scotland where he wouldn’t be chased by press and he would feel comfortable in the country cottage that they would stay in.

Two weeks later recovered and left Scotland to go back home and back to his beloved work “Top Gear”. Richard is now in good health and is working hard at work and playing with his kids, Willow and Izzy.