Freddie Flintoff airlifted to hospital after Top Gear crash

Presenter was filming car review segment when accident happened, say reports

Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was rushed to hospital on Tuesday morning after being involved in an accident while working on Top Gear.

The 45-year-old presenter and former professional cricketer was reportedly filming a car review at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, home of the Top Gear test track, when the crash happened.

A BBC spokesperson said: “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning – with crew medics attending the scene immediately.”

“He has been taken to hospital for further treatment and we will confirm more details in due course.”

Flintoff’s son has since said his father is “lucky to be alive” while sharing an update on his health.

The presenter’s injuries were not life-threatening, insiders told The Sun.

The paper quoted a source as saying: “He was driving on the track as normal. He wasn’t going at high speeds – it was just an accident that could happen to anyone.

“All the usual health and safety measures were in place for filming too. Freddie was taken to hospital by air ambulance shortly afterwards.”

Flintoff has been a familiar face on television for years (PA)

The Sun also reported that Mr Flintoff was behind the wheel during filming for a car review for an upcoming episode of the hit BBC One programme.

Mr Flintoff narrowly avoided serious injury in an earlier crash not long after joining Top Gear in 2019.

He said he “ran out of runway” at Elvington Airfield near York while riding a specialised three-wheel drag racing vehicle in competition with fellow presenters Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.

Flintoff (right) with co-presenters Paddy McGuinness (left) and Chris Harris at Dunsfold Park in 2019 (PA)

In a statement at the time, Mr Flintoff said: “I’m absolutely fine and was back filming today. I go to great lengths to make sure I do well in Top Gear drag races but on this occasion, I went a few lengths too far!”

The airfield is the same one where former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond crashed at in 2006 while piloting a drag racing car.

Mr Hammond spent two weeks in a coma after crashing at 288mph on a blown tyre. He suffered paranoia, memory loss and depression as a result of brain damage caused by the crash.

Mr Flintoff has been a common sight on television since he retired from professional cricket in 2009. Before Top Gear, he had spent several years as a team captain on Sky TV sports panel show A League of Their Own.

He also briefly returned to cricket in 2014 to play competitive Twenty20, a shorter form of the sport than the traditional test match.