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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Amy Denman

James May 'hospitalised after crashing into wall at 75mph as stunt goes horribly wrong'

Grand Tour star James May has been rushed to hospital with a broken rib after a stunt went wrong, according to reports.

Former Top Gear star James, 59, is understood to have broken a rib and needed a brain scan before he got the all-clear after the accident.

James had reportedly been filming alongside his Grand Tour co-stars when he was challenged with taking part in a dangerous drag-style race before the accident happened, it has been claimed.

The challenge is said to have required James and his co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond with taking it in turns to speed rally cards along a tunnel towards a rock wall.

It's understood the lights of the tunnel, in a Norwegian naval base, only came on has the cars sped along – giving the drivers just three seconds to react if they ran out of space.

James is understood to have reacted too late and jackknifed into the wall. He was then reportedly helped out of the car before taken to hospital.

A telly source told The Sun: "It looked extremely worrying at first.

"Jeremy and Richard were concerned about their mate and the paramedics swooped in quickly.

James was understood to be filming a challenge with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond before the stunt went wrong (Collect)

"As ever on a shoot of this scale, medical staff are waiting in the wings in case — as they did here — things go horribly wrong."

The Mirror has contacted James' representatives for comment.

The TV star is said to have "smashed his head quite hard" as the car collided with the wall.

And after the crash, a "shaken" James complained about "pain in his back and neck" and was also said to be bleeding.

James was left 'shaken' while Jeremy and Richard were 'worried' (Getty Images)

It's understood he has broken at least one rib.

James was reportedly forced to "abandon" filming while Jeremy, 62, and Richard, 52, had to continue on with the trip.

However, after being given the all-clear James was later reportedly able to join his co-stars.

The accident will have no doubt brought back haunting memories from his co-star Richard's accident in 2006.

Richard was in a coma for two weeks and even suffered a brain injury after he crashed in a Vampire Dragster. He also suffered with post-traumatic amnesia from the incident.

James had to 'abandon' filming while his pals continued the trip, according to reports (Collect)

The accident happened as the front-right tyre failed at 319 mph, the car flipped over, damaging Hammond’s eye and requiring him to be cut out with hydraulic shears and rushed to hospital.

But, earlier this year he came face to face with the car again in a video shared on the DriveTribe YouTube channel, which is owned by himself and his fellow co-stars.

Teasing the channel’s content for 2022, Hammond said that he would be "doing what I promised myself I would never do, and get back into the Vampire dragster that so very, very nearly killed me".

He added: "I will be doing what I swore – oh, do you know what, I’m just gonna do it now."

"Hello again," he greeted the vehicle and joked: "You look in better shape than last time I saw you, anyway."

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