13 Actors Who Almost Died Filming Major TV Shows

10. Top Gear - Richard Hammond

During the filming of a Vampire Dragster sequence in the long-running British car show, presenter Richard Hammond narrowly avoided being killed when his vehicle lost control allegedly during his bid to set an official speed record.

The crash happened at an eye-watering speed of 300mph, and Hammond miraculously escaped with his life, though he did spend 2 weeks in a coma. On a seventh and final run, the front tyre failed and the car flipped and embedded into the grass, including Hammond's helmet. He regained consciousness when he was freed - and later described himself to have been "a bit fighty" in an interview - but went into a coma at the start of a long slow recovery process that ended when he returned to the show and allowed the crash to be aired.

Hammond was incredibly fortunate, and though he suffered lasting brain injuries and emotional and psychological problems, he could have been decapitated if he was taller.