Andrew Flintoff has described a "split-second decision" he says saved his life during his horrific Top Gear crash.
The former England cricketer, also known as Freddie, told how his made the "right call" on what to do when his car flipped over thanks to instinct honed during his sporting career.
The father-of-four, 47,also admitted he was "prepared to lose my arm" during the terrifying accident that left him with devastating injuries.
Flintoff was airlifted to hospital after he lost control of the open-top Morgan Super 3 car he was driving on the BBC show.
In a column for The Times he wrote: "Suddenly the car was rolling and the world was all slow-motion chaos.
"I knew, somehow, exactly what was coming. I knew the options: If I stuck my arm out, I’d lose it. If I didn’t brace, I’d snap my neck. So I made the call.
"I shut my eyes and flung up my left arm, with the thinking being that as a right-hander, I was prepared to lose my left.
"The car dragged me underneath for 50 metres, face skidding, body flipping.
"Minus two degrees, busted face, but alive — because in that instant, my mind, honed on cricket’s demands, made the right call.
"A split-second decision. One that saved my life, and changed it."
Flintoff is continuing his road to recovery, after the crash left him with severe facial injuries that required reconstructive surgery.
