Hammond car crash probably caused by nail

Monday September 17th 2007

A BBC report has concluded that a nail probably caused he puncture which led to Richard Hammond's high speed crash last year.

The Top Gear presenter was driving a jet-powered dragster when a "catastrophic disintegration" of the jet car's front tyre
led to the accident that almost cost him his life.

The BBC enquiry in to the crash criticised the Top Gear team for not having anyone present "with sufficient knowledge to assess the adequacy" of the safety checks.

According to the report, the underlying cause of the incident was "the inability to spot the damage to the tyre".

But the evidence was "inconclusive whether the safety checks, especially tyre checks, were being conducted to an appropriate standard", the report decided.

The report concluded that, where experts were given "prime responsibility" over safety, the BBC must ensure it selected "competent persons".

Hammond crashed on 20 September at Elvington Airfield while making his seventh run of the day in the jet-powered dragster.

He was airlifted to hospital and treated for swelling to the brain and bruising, but eventually made a complete recovery.