Freddie Flintoff Opens Up on ‘Split-Second Decision’ That Saved His Life in Crash
Freddie Flintoff has recalled the 'split-second' decision which he believes proved to be life-saving during his infamous crash on Top Gear.
Flintoff - whose real name is Andrew - is best known to sports fans for his exploits on a cricket pitch following a long career as an all-rounder with Lancashire and England.
Flintoff was a member of the 2005 Ashes-winning England team which captured the nation, with him being one of the stars of the tournament.
The now 47-year-old captained England to a humiliating whitewash Down Under for the 2006-07 Ashes, but retired from playing for his country following the 2009 Ashes series where England regained the famous little urn on home soil.
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Flintoff briefly came out of retirement in 2014 to play for Lancashire in the Twenty20, while he also represented Brisbane Heat in the Australian Big Bash League.
Since walking away from playing cricket, Flintoff embarked upon numerous TV projects, such as Sky's A League of Their Own, and is currently the head coach for the England Lions cricket team.
But one of the biggest projects Flintoff took part in after his playing career was becoming a presenter on BBC motoring show Top Gear, which he took part in from 2019.
However, his time on the programme abruptly ended when he suffered numerous injuries following a crash in a open-top Morgan Super 3 car at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, where the show was filmed, on December 13 2022.
The retired cricketer ended up being airlifted to hospital and he was left with life-changing facial injuries which have required reconstructive surgery.
Top Gear has since been halted by the BBC, with the show to not return for the 'foreseeable future', and it has been reported that Flintoff received a compensation payment from the corporation worth £9m for the injuries he suffered.
Flintoff has now relived that fateful day and revealed the 'split-second decision-making' which he believes ultimately saved his life.
When the Morgan he was driving began to roll, he was faced with the prospect of losing his left arm, or risk breaking his neck if he did not adopt the brace position.
He was dragged for 50 metres, which he described as 'face skidding' and 'body flipping', but that he was alive when the vehicle came to a halt.
Writing in a column for The Times, Flintoff said: "Suddenly the car was rolling and the world was all slow-motion chaos.
"I shut my eyes and flung up my left arm, with the thinking being that as a right-hander, I was prepared to lose my left.
"In that instant, my mind, honed on cricket’s demands, made the right call. A split-second decision. One that saved my life, and changed it."
Graphic images showing the extent of Flintoff's injuries suffered in the crash were released earlier this year as part of a Disney+ documentary entitled 'Flintoff'.
John McDougall