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    “The Grand Tour” host Richard Hammond injured in car crash

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2514 Views
    This photo issued by Freuds shows the car that was involved in a crash where Richard Hammond escaped serious injury, in Switzerland, Saturday June 10, 2017. (Freuds via AP)
    GENEVA (AP) --

    Richard Hammond, a presenter of Amazon's car-themed TV show "The Grand Tour," escaped serious injury Saturday (6/10) in a fiery crash while filming in Switzerland.

    Program-makers said Hammond was airlifted to hospital with a fractured knee. The Rimac Concept One electric supercar was reduced to a twisted, blackened mess after it crashed and caught fire.

    The program said in a statement that Hammond crashed after completing a climb during a demonstration run at the Hemberg hill race in the east of the alpine country.

    "Richard was conscious and talking, and climbed out of the car himself before the vehicle burst into flames," it said. "He was flown by air ambulance to hospital in St. Gallen to be checked over, revealing a fracture to his knee."

    The show said no one else was involved, and the cause of the crash was under investigation.

    Hammond, 47, hosts the adrenaline-fueled automotive show with Jeremy Clarkson and James May. The trio are the former hosts of the BBC program "Top Gear."

    Clarkson tweeted that "it was the biggest crash I've ever seen and the most frightening but incredibly, and thankfully, Richard seems to be mostly OK."

    Gian Andrea Rezzoli, a spokesman for St. Gallen cantonal (state) police, confirmed that a person had been injured and taken to a hospital, but referred further questions to the race organizers as the crash happened on a cordoned-off racetrack.

    A spokesman for the Hemberg race organizers, Marco Moser, said the demonstration runs are intended to showcase unusual vehicles and offer spectators "something special."

    "No accident is nice for us," Moser said. "But accidents do happen in high-risk sports. Of course when a car goes up in flames, then there's quite a bit more adrenaline."

    "We're happy that Richard Hammond is doing well, under the circumstances," he added.

    In 2006, Hammond suffered a brain injury when he crashed in a rocket-powered dragster while filming "Top Gear." He had been attempting to break the British land speed record at an airfield when the vehicle veered of the track, tumbled over and plowed into the grass. He recovered and returned to the show a few months later.

    Hammond and May left "Top Gear" after Clarkson was fired for punching a producer in a dustup during filming. The trio signed with Amazon for "The Grand Tour," which is filming its second season.

     

    Tags:AmazonRichard HammondThe Grand Tour



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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