Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff’s horror crash sports car was not fitted with air bags.
The television presenter, 45, was driving an open-topped three-wheel 130mph Morgan Super 3 car for Top Gear in December last year when the vehicle flipped at an aerodrome.
The classic-look £43,000 British handmade vehicle, which is described as a ‘motorised tricycle’, does not have air bags, according to maker Morgan’s website.
Former cricketer Andrew was left with broken ribs and serious facial injuries after the accident.
An internal health and safety investigation by the BBC is reportedly nearing completion and the broadcaster’s bosses may face legal action from those involved.
Road smash: Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff’s horror crash sports car was not fitted with air bags, it has emerged
Disaster: The television presenter, 45, was driving an open-topped three-wheel 130mph Morgan Super 3 car for Top Gear in December last year when the vehicle flipped
A source told The Sun: ‘Very little has been revealed about the accident and bosses are keen to keep a lid on details.
‘This revelation about not having an air bag is bound to spark questions from fans.’
The BBC declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.
Sportsman Freddie has taken time off from all work to recover and Top Gear will reportedly not return.
The Morgan Motor Company was known for making three-wheel cars before the war before bringing them back into production in the 2000s.
Freddie was airlifted to hospital after the crash while shooting an episode of Top Gear at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.
A source told The Sun at the time: ‘Freddie is in hospital after a crash on Top Gear.
‘He was driving on the track as normal. He wasn’t going at high speeds – it was just an accident that could happen to anyone.
Still recovering: Former cricketer Andrew was left with broken ribs and serious facial injuries after the accident
Details: The classic-look £43,000 British handmade vehicle, which is described as a ‘motorised tricycle’, does not have air bags, according to maker Morgan’s website
‘All the usual health and safety measures were in place for filming too.
‘Freddie was taken to hospital by air ambulance shortly afterwards.
‘His injuries are not life-threatening and he is receiving treatment.
‘Filming has been postponed for now and all anyone cares about is Freddie recovering.’
A spokesperson for the BBC confirmed that Freddie was involved in the crash and that he was taken to hospital for further treatment.
Freddie became a presenter of Top Gear in 2019, and the former England captain was involved in a crash shortly after joining the BBC show.
The incident happened during a drag race involving fellow presenters Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris.
He subsequently said: ‘I go to great lengths to make sure I do well in Top Gear drag races but, on this occasion, I went a few lengths too far. It will look more ridiculous than dangerous when you see it on TV.’
Investigation: An internal health and safety investigation by the BBC is nearing completion and the broadcaster’s bosses may face legal action from those involved
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the BBC said at the time: ‘The health and safety of our presenters and crew on Top Gear is paramount.
‘As viewers of the recent series will have seen, Freddie is often keen to get “off the beaten track”.
‘Tuesday’s filming at Elvington Airfield was no exception – but he suffered no injuries as a result of his spontaneous detour, as fans will see for themselves when we show the sequence in full in the next series.’
Meanwhile, former Top Gear host Richard Hammond previously said he was ‘too scared’ to get checked for dementia following his horror crash.
The 53-year-old TV presenter – who fronted the BBC Two programme alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May from 2002 to 2015 – suffered a brain injury following a catastrophic car crash while filming the show in 2006.
Richard – who was left with life-changing side effects, including post-traumatic amnesia – now fears his worsening memory could be dementia caused by the high-speed smash.
On hold: Officials immediately suspended filming after the crash and began investigating the incident (L-R: Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness)
Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast, he said: ‘I worry about my memory because it’s not brilliant. I can still read a script and deliver it but my long-term memory is not brilliant.
‘I have to write things down and work hard to remember them sometimes. It might be the age, it might be the onset of something else. I worry about that. I do.’
The TV star admitted suffering from depression following the crash, and his wife Mindy, 57, was warned there could be an after-effect brain injury.
He added: ‘Mindy was told by the doctors that a frontal brain lobe injury would possibly lead to me having a greater propensity for obsessive compulsion and depression and paranoia.
‘She was like, “You didn’t meet him before the crash, did you?” which is quite funny.’
Richard’s horror crash came while filming an episode of Top Gear at the RAF Elvington airfield near York, in September 2006.
Richard was driving at 319mph in a Vampire dragster – a jet-powered car that has the potential to reach speeds of 370mph – when the front right tyre unexpectedly failed, causing the motor to spin out of control and flip upside.
The media personality had to be cut out with hydraulic shears before being rushed to hospital.
Fears: Meanwhile, former Top Gear host Richard Hammond previously said he was ‘too scared’ to get checked for dementia following his horror crash
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