TV presenter Richard Hammond's wife said today that hearing about the 300mph jet car crash that nearly killed him was her "worst nightmare".
Top Gear star Hammond, 36, crashed his Vampire car at 288mph while filming for the show on September 20.
In an interview with the British Daily Mirror today, Hammond's wife Mindy recalled the moment she received the news of his accident over the telephone.
"It was my worst nightmare and my heart started to pound as I ran to the car," she said.
"I yelled and screamed all the way home but pulled myself together before I saw (daughters) Izzy and Willow.
"I told them 'Daddy's bumped a car and ripped his clothes so I have to take him some new ones'."
"A million thoughts ran through my head about what I would find when I reached the hospital. I didn't even know if he would be alive when I got there."
At about 4am on the day after his accident, Hammond started to deteriorate and he was not responding to tests designed to gauge his reactions.
Without the nurse saying anything, Mrs Hammond said she knew it was really bad. "I asked her 'Would it help if I shouted at him like I do when he's drunk?'.
"She said 'Yeah, if you can get him to do something, shout'.
"I bellowed at him 'Richard, you bloody well squeeze her fingers because it's bloody important!'. There was a tiny little squeeze and I thought 'Thank God'. After that he started to improve."
Despite her husband's brush with death, Mrs Hammond said she feels fine about him returning to work on Top Gear when he is fully recovered.
"I wouldn't stop him doing what he loves," she said.
