Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video posted by Rizki Bagja, filmed by Amazon Prime Video
James May had an accident while filming the latest episode of The Grand Tour, which is called A Scandi Flick, but this is not news to you. We have known about this for a month and a week now, and the program was made available to Amazon Prime Video subscribers last week. It did not take long for it to be uploaded on the internet.
While the story of the crash had already been told by Andy Wilman for IGV, footage of the event was left unseen until the episode went online. Some people have recorded the moment and then posted videos of the recording on their YouTube accounts.
As you can imagine, Amazon will not be happy with this, so those videos will disappear once the online giant contacts YouTube and starts reporting the accounts that have uploaded its content.
The scenes were shot in Norway, at the decommissioned Olavsvern naval base, and James May was driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8 at the time. Initial reports claimed that he had been doing 75 mph (121 kph) when he jackknifed into the wall during a braking maneuver, but the video of the crash tells a different story.
While we do see James May accelerating as if he had a grudge against those who call him Captain Slow, and the speedometer does show over 62 mph (100 kph), James is then shown holding the wheel with two hands while hitting the brakes.
The moment of the crash is then shown, and the British presenter was fortunate enough to be able to stay conscious, get out of the vehicle on his feet, and then speak to the emergency crews that were on stand-by for the stunt. The British presenter was taken to the hospital and received a full physical examination before being released back into the wild.
Some commenters on YouTube claim that the crash was staged, or that there was a different person behind the wheel of the Evo when the top speed parts were filmed, and then James May just had to do the last bits on his own, for the camera. We do not think that the crash was staged, but it does raise a few questions regarding the safety of the presenter.
After all, accidents happen, and the saying goes that one must dress for the fall, not for the ride, so we should have seen James May wear a helmet on this particular challenge. Fortunately, the Brit is made it out alive, but scared himself, Hammond, Clarkson, and the entire production crew while he was at it.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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