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Freddie Flintoff accident: What happened in Top Gear crash?
Flintoff used to be co-host of the popular BBC car show Top Gear along with Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris – a role he began back in 2019.
But the former England Cricket Team captain’s time on the show was cut short after he was severely injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track – the Dunsfold Aerodrome, Surrey in December 2022.
What happened to Freddie Flintoff in Top Gear accident?
‘Freddie’ Flintoff flipped a Morgan Super 3 vehicle on one of the bends at the Top Gear test track during filming for the show, while not wearing a helmet.
Describing the accident on the Disney+ documentary Flintoff, the former international cricketer said he was travelling at around 40 to 45mph when the front wheel came off, and the car flipped.
Because it was an open-top car, Flintoff’s face scraped along the tarmac.
At one point, he said he was dragged under the car for about 50 metres as it slid across the runway, before it eventually hit the grass and flipped back upright.
Flintoff added: “I thought I was dead because I was conscious, but I couldn’t see anything.”
The presenter sustained “significant” facial injuries, including losing portions of his upper and lower lips and broken and lost teeth.
There were reports Flintoff’s crash was so bad Top Gear staff who witnessed it had to be signed off work indefinitely as they struggled to come to terms with an incident described as “something you would truly want to unsee”.
After months of speculation, the BBC finally made the decision, in November 2023, to rest Top Gear for the “foreseeable future”.
Flintoff spoke about the Top Gear crash for the first time on Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dream on Tour, which aired on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in August 2024.
He revealed how close he was to dying and the struggles he’s had since, including “crying every two minutes”, anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks.
The documentary showed Flintoff in hospital shortly after the crash, where he said: “I genuinely should not be here after what happened.
“This will be a long road back, and I’ve only just started. I’m stuck already.
“I need help, and I realise I’m not the best at asking for it. I need to stop crying every two minutes.
“I’ve got to look at the positives, haven’t I?
“I’m still here, I’ve got another chance, I’ve got to go at it. I’m seeing that as how it is, a second go.”
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Freddie Flintoff documentary on Disney+
More details about Freddie’s Top Gear crash can be seen in the documentary Flintoff on Disney+.
It gives viewers “unprecedented access” to his life, covering everything from his cricketing career to his “life-altering” Top Gear crash.
The programme also shows the Preston-born star’s return to cricket after the accident.
Flintoff is available to watch now on Disney+.
