Sky News and BBC News report that he was driving a Vampire jet car powered by a Rolls Royce Orpheus Turbo-Jet Engine; the very same car that currently holds the British landspeed record at 300.3mph [5] [6]
According to witnesses, Hammond was completing a final run to collect extra footage for the programme when "One of the parachutes had deployed but it went on to the grass and spun over and over before coming to a rest about 100 yards from us." When rescuers arrived at the car it was upside down and "dug in" to the grass. Rescuers felt a pulse and heard Hammond, who was unconscious, breathing before the car was turned right way up. Hammond was cut free, put in a neck brace and placed on a stretcher before the air ambulance arrived. "He was regaining consciousness at that point and said he had some lower back pain".[7]
ITV News reported that Hammond had broken the British land speed record and was on a last run, filming extra scenes for Top Gear, when the accident took place. Hammond's family are with him, along with doctors, Top Gear representatives who were there when the accident took place, as well as Top Gear co-presenters James May and Jeremy Clarkson who travelled to the Leeds Hospital. Jeremy Clarkson is quoted by the BBC as saying "Both James and I are looking forward to getting our 'hamster' back.", referring to Hammond by his nickname.[8]
Shortly after 11:30pm, Leeds General reported that Hammond's condition was "stable." By 10am, the Hospital reported Hammond was in a serious but stable condition showing "some improvement" overnight.[3]
A quote from Dave Ogden from Event Fire Services, present at the scene of the accident, as broadcast on Sky News that evening: "He was just doing the final run of the day - I don't know quite what happened - but the parachute deployed. There was quite a lot of smoke and the car veered off to the right and on to the grass, and it overturned several times and it came to a halt a couple of hundred yards in front of us."
A web site has been set up for well-wishers enabling them to donate to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.