Motoring TV presenter, Richard Hammond's wife, Mindy has described her husband as a "silly, silly boy" following the high-speed crash in which he was involved eight days ago.
The 47-year old former ex-Top Gear presenter turned over a £2 million electric car in Switzerland before the vehicle burst into flames. The incident occurred 11 years after Hammond suffered brain injuries in a 288 mph rocket car accident.
The couple have two daughters, 16-year old Izzy, and 13-year old Willow. Writing in a column for the Sunday Express, 46-year old journalist Mindy revealed how she heard the news of her husband's car accident while shopping with her oldest daughter in Cheltenham.
Mindy Hammond - photo courtesy of ITV's Loose Women
Mrs Hammond described how she and Izzy instinctively hugged each other for support when they learned of the 120 mph crash, after which the TV presenter was air-lifted to hospital. The Swiss segment was intended for The Grand Tour, the former Top Gear team's new TV show for Amazon.
Mrs Hammond's mild reprimand in the Sunday Express was nevertheless blunt and direct. She wrote: 'most of us are fortunate to escape looking death in the face. Richard's done it twice - and that's two times too many.'
Hammond avoided serious injury, suffering bruises, cuts and a broken knee. Luckily, he had undone his seat-belt and was able to get himself out of the vehicle moments before it went on fire. His wife says he will need 'months' of rehabilitation following knee surgery.
Grand Tour producer Andy Wilman said after the crash that the presenter was seconds from being "incinerated".
"Jeremy and James both raced down to the scene of the crash as soon as it happened," he told The Sunday Mirror.
"When they saw the wreckage on fire they thought Richard was dead. It was really bad. They were staggered he had got out of it alive, because there was just nothing left."
Co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson witnessed the incident and said it was the "biggest" and "most frightening" crash he had ever seen.
