Paul Rees, who played The Stig on Top Gear from 2019 to 2022, thought Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was going to die after being “sprayed” with his blood during a crash at the show’s test track.
Flintoff, 48, was taken to hospital with facial and rib injuries following the accident at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey in December 2022. Rees was sitting beside Flintoff in the Morgan Super 3 on the day it crashed.
Rees recalls the moment
Speaking to The Sun, Rees said: “I was getting wet and I was like, ‘why am I getting wet?’ because it wasn’t fuel or anything like that. Then my vision went red and I now know that was blood from Fred just spraying me in the face. I pulled him back next to me, took one look at him and I thought he was dead. A million things went through my mind in that moment, but we just had to save Fred.”
The car, which did not have a roof, flipped upside down and skidded on the tarmac before coming to a stop. Rees said: “I remember thinking that if we can get out of this and be in wheelchairs, we’re lucky. It was a terrifying thought. Everything goes in slow motion. I genuinely felt like we were going to potentially die, because we had no protection.”
Legal action and aftermath
Rees said he believed there was “no way” someone could have survived the injuries. It was reported last week that Rees is suing BBC Studios and is seeking up to £150,000 for personal injury. A BBC Studios spokesperson said: “We dispute this claim and are defending it. As it’s now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
Flintoff previously said he suffers from PTSD since the crash. Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, he said: “You know, I suffer from PTSD. I have flashbacks and nightmares, but I’ve probably got more of an acceptance of them now.” After the crash, the BBC said Top Gear would be “rested” for the foreseeable future, after reaching a financial settlement with Flintoff, an agreement reportedly worth around £9 million.
