'Top Gear' presenter Andrew Flintoff 'absolutely fine' following high-speed crash

Amy West
·Contributor
Updated
Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff during the Pride Of Britain Awards 2018, in partnership with TSB, honouring the nation's unsung heroes and recognising the amazing achievements of ordinary people, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London. (Photo by Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images)
'Top Gear' host Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff says he's "absolutely fine" following a high-speed car crash in York (Photo by Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images)

Top Gear host Andrew Flintoff says he’s “absolutely fine” following a high-speed collision on the same track that Richard Hammond crashed on 13 years earlier.

The ex-international cricketer was driving a three-wheeled vehicle at a former RAF airfield in Elvington, York when he lost control while hurtling down the runway head-first.

“I have been back filming,” Flintoff - who presents the show alongside Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness - told The Sun.

“I go to great lengths to make sure I do well in Top Gear drag races but, on this occasion, I went a few lengths too far.

“It will look more ridiculous than dangerous when you see it on TV.”

Richard Hammond unveils the shortlist of app nominees for the first ever Carphone Warehouse Appys Awards at The Carphone Warehouse on February 21, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage)
Former 'Top Gear' host Richard Hammond crashed on the same airfield runway when he was filming for the show back in 2006 (Photo by Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage)

“Freddie asked me how fast it would go,” Trevor Duckworth - who owns the trike Flintoff was driving - explained. “I said about 120mph and he hit 124mph so he was on the button. He just hasn’t braked correctly.”

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“The health and safety of our presenters and crew is paramount,” a BBC spokesperson said. “As viewers will know, Freddie is often keen to get ‘off the beaten track’. But he suffered no injuries as a result of his spontaneous detour.”

Recalling the accident to the aforementioned publication, onlooker David Robinson said Flintoff appeared to be “going flat-out” before he heard an “almighty bang” and the athlete disappeared in a cloud of dust.

EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Left to right) Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris with an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera and a Porsche 911 GT2 RS at Billingsgate Market, London as they are revealed as BBC Top Gear's new presenting line-up, taking over the helm from Matt LeBlanc whose final series will air in early 2019 on BBC Two.
Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff, Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris with an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera and a Porsche 911 GT2 RS at Billingsgate Market, London.

“He could have been killed,” Robinson added. “He was so lucky it wasn’t worse, especially after Richard Hammond’s crash. Freddie may not have been going at the same speed but it could easily have been a similar outcome.”

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Hammond was shooting an episode of Top Gear back in 2006 when he was injured after crashing a jet-powered car at the airfield. At the time, it was reported that he was travelling at around 288mph.

Three months after the incident, Hammond appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and told the host that he had suffered a two-week long coma, as well as post-traumatic amnesia.