Several members of the Top Gear production crew who witnessed Freddie Flintoff’s horrific car crash have been terminally ill with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal the speeding accident has had a ‘significant impact’ on crews after seeing the former England cricket star injured. This is preventing them from returning to work.
Sources say a number of staff were present at last December’s smash on the Top Gear test track at Dunfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.
45-year-old Flintoff suffered horrific injuries to his jaw and his ribs were also broken. It is not known whether he will work in television again.
One said: ‘The visuals were horrific, something you really wouldn’t want to see. For some people the idea of doing that kind of work again is just too much.
Top Gear staff suffer PTSD after witnessing Freddie Flintoff’s (pictured) horrific car crashStaff watched in horror as a 45-year-old man was crashed into an open-top three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 car at 130 mph
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READ MORE: Top Gear ‘hangs in the balance’ after crash as bulldozers prepare to build thousands of new homes at their long-standing aerodrome site
‘This has been a very difficult time for everyone involved in the accident. Some are still struggling with it so the work has been terminated.
Flintoff has yet to take any legal action, but it is not known whether any of the production team have.
The series that Flintoff was filming was immediately halted and the rest of the run cancelled.
It is not known whether the show itself will return, although the owners of Top Gear would be keen for it to continue as they have built it into a lucrative franchise and brand around the world.
Flintoff, who featured in the high-octane show alongside Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris, was badly hurt when the topless high-speed three-wheeler he was driving overturned and skidded along a track .
It has since emerged that he faced a 45-minute wait for an air ambulance and received no medical stretcher.
The TV host, pictured with co-presenters Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness, was filming the latest series of the show, which is due to air this autumnPictured: Construction work as bulldozers move to Top Gear’s long-running airport filming location ready to build thousands of new homes
READ MORE: Flintoff ‘suffered for 45 minutes with facial injuries after near-fatal crash and staff could not get a stretcher for him’
He was not wearing a helmet and the 130 mph Morgan Super 3 sports car had no airbags.
The BBC has been accused of failing in its duty of care to Flintoff, whose son Corey said shortly after the crash that the star was ‘lucky to be alive’.
Flintoff has not been on social media since December 10, three days before the accident.
BBC Studios, the corporation’s commercial arm, has carried out a health and safety review, which has yet to be published. Sources in the organization say that she will not do so.
In a statement, it confirmed a review had been carried out and said it had issued an apology to Flintoff: ‘BBC Studios has completed its investigation into the accident which regrettably injured presenter Freddie Flintoff. Was.
‘We have sincerely apologized to Freddie and will continue to support him in his recovery.’
Top Gear crashes through the years
Richard Hammond crashes a vampire dragster – 2006
Richard was fighting for his life after the jet-powered car crashed at 288 mph while testing the vehicle at the former RAF Ellington airbase near York. Hammond was completing the seventh and final run in the car when the front right tire blew and the dragster skidded off the runway, rolling over, and Hammond suffered a head injury and was in a coma for two weeks. The TV presenter returned to the show in the year following the accident and spoke about the accident on The Jonathan Ross Show, but could not remember it due to his injuries.
Shocking: Richard was fighting for his life after the Vampire dragster crashed at 288 mph while testing the vehicle at the former RAF Ellington airbase.
Freddie Flintoff crashes a jet trike
In September, Freddie revealed that he had a near-fatal escape after a high-speed crash in a jet trike during filming. The 45-year-old cricket star insisted he was ‘absolutely fine’ when his jet trike skidded off the road during a race at Ellington airfield near York. Freddy allegedly drove his high speed trike off the road while filming a high-speed race. Crew members rushed to Freddy—who was dressed in a full motorcycling suit and helmet for the scenes—but he emerged with barely a scratch.
Close call: last September, Freddie revealed he had a horrific escape after a high-speed crash in a jet trike during filming
Paddy McGuinness’ back axle comes out of his Pontiac Firebird
In the latest series of Top Gear, Paddy embarks on the ‘original’ American road trip with Freddie and Chris Harris. He arrived at his starting point in Peru with a Pontiac Firebird that did not have a roof, among many other problems. When the three decided to test their cars on a 1/4 mile straight of the road, Paddy’s car only got a few yards before the rear axle came off completely and he was thrown from the car. was forced to leave.
In the latest series of Top Gear, Paddy was forced to abandon his Pontiac Firebird after the rear end of the axle was completely severed (pictured)
Jeremy Clarkson flips over his Reliant Robin – 2010
In a now famous segment of Top Gear, former presenter Jeremy flipped over a Reliant Robin several times. The Motorcar journalist was flipping it over to prove that a three-wheeled car could easily flip. In his Sunday Times driving column, Jeremy revealed that he actually told the crew to tinker with the car ‘so that the poor little thing rolled over every time I turned the steering wheel.’
Flipping heck: In a famous segment of Top Gear, former presenter Jeremy Clarkson flipped a Reliant Robin several times (pictured)
