The co-presenter of Britain’s hugely popular Top Gear car show was Friday moved out of intensive care, two days after a high-speed crash during filming for the programme, officials said.
Doctors said 36-year-old Richard Hammond’s condition was improving after the accident, which occurred when he was driving a rocket-powered dragster on Wednesday at a disused airfield near York, north England.
“Richard Hammond is making satisfactory progress,” said a spokesperson for the nearby Leeds General Infirmary, adding his condition has been downgraded from “serious but stable” to “stable”.
The accident, which comes weeks after the death of Australia’s crocodile hunter Steve Irwin while filming underwater with stingrays, has fuelled questions about risks taken by TV presenters during such programmes.
Police and safety experts have launched an investigation into the crash, in particular over whether all possible safety precautions were taken. The BBC has also launched its own probe. — AFP