Richard Hammond has revealed he fears he could develop dementia as a result of the serious brain injuries he suffered in multiple car accidents over the years. The former Top Gear presenter admitted he is "too scared" to undergo tests to check for the condition.
Speaking on a joint podcast for High Performance and DRIVETRIBE on YouTube, Hammond said he worries that his past injuries could lead to early-onset dementia. He explained that he believes the brain injury is "with me forever" and that he often forgets things, though he is unsure whether that is due to his age or the accidents.
Serious crashes and lasting fears
Hammond has been involved in several car accidents, with two of the most serious occurring during his time on Top Gear. In September 2006, he suffered serious injuries and was left in a coma after losing control of a 320mph jet-powered Vampire dragster at Elvington Airfield outside York. In 2017, he was driving a £2m Rimac Concept One supercar when it plunged down a hill in St Gallen, Switzerland, and he only just managed to escape before the vehicle burst into flames.
Asked whether he would see the world differently if he had not had the accidents, Hammond said: "That, I don't know because that was a lot of time staring out rain-streaked hospital windows contemplating my own sanity and emotional state. Yes. And, you know, brain injury is with me forever probably, and I do worry about it, will lead to early-onset dementia. I very much hope not, but it's entirely possible that it could."
Too scared to get tested
When asked if he had undergone scans to check for the condition, Hammond replied: "No, I'm scared to death to do it, but I absolutely should. No, I absolutely should, but I'm honestly too scared because I do lose stuff a lot. I do forget stuff, but that's probably because I'm 56 and not concentrating. But I should."
He added that he is "bad enough" when he visits the doctor for his "annual MOT" and does not like receiving results, so he thinks he would feel the same about having a brain scan. Explaining what scared him about the potential answer, he said: "Because I wouldn't want to know that's what was coming, would I?"
Marking 20 years since the Elvington crash
In September, Hammond marked 20 years since the Elvington crash and thanked emergency services for their help on that day. In an Instagram post, he wrote that he wanted to thank them "from the bottom of my heart" and said he was "forever grateful" for their assistance, admitting he was sure he was "about to die".
He wrote: "Twenty years ago today, I came to an abrupt stop upside down in a Yorkshire field, convinced I was about to die." He recalled attempting to release the parachute, but "disaster was, it seemed, my fate". He added: "Having done everything I could to avert it, I gave myself over to that fate."
