'I have nightmares, I have flashbacks': Former England cricketer opens up about near-death experience

Former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff has opened up about his near-fatal Top Gear crash in December 2022 in an upcoming Disney+ documentary. The 47-year-old suffered serious facial injuries and broken ribs when his Morgan Super 3 vehicle overturned at 130mph at Dunsfold Aerodrome, leading to a £9 million compensation from the BBC and the indefinite suspension of Top Gear.
The documentary, set to release on April 25 and directed by John Dower, features unseen footage of the crash site and Flintoff's hospital treatment.

"I remember everything about it," Flintoff says. "It's so vivid."
The former all-rounder stayed away from public life for seven months following the accident.
"This is what I'm left with … I've lived under the radar for seven months," Flintoff states. "One of the real frustrations was the speculation, that's why I'm doing this now, [talking about] what actually happened. Everyone wants more, you're just a commodity. I'm not saying I'm embracing them, but I'm not trying to hide my scars. It's almost like a reset, I'm trying to find out what I am now. I've always seemed to be able to flick a switch, I've got to find that switch again."

Flintoff's recovery journey has included a return to cricket, making an anonymous appearance at the 2023 Ashes at the invitation of Rob Key, England men's director of cricket.
He has since taken up roles as head coach of Northern Superchargers in the Hundred and England Lions, while also hosting ITV's rebooted darts show, Bullseye.
During his Field of Dreams series in India, Flintoff revealed his ongoing struggles.
"I struggle with anxiety, I have nightmares, I have flashbacks, it's so hard to cope," he disclosed. "I genuinely should not be here with what happened. It's going to be a long road back and I've only just started. I'm going to need help. I really am. I'm not the best at asking for it."
The documentary includes interviews with his wife Rachael, former teammates including Michael Vaughan, and friends Jack Whitehall and James Corden.

Top Gear co-host Chris Harris, speaking to Joe Rogan, emphasized Flintoff's physical strength as crucial to his survival.
"He's a physical specimen, Fred, he's a big guy - six foot five, six foot six, strong. And if he wasn't so strong, he wouldn't have survived. He's a great advert for physical strength and conditioning, because if he hadn't been that strong, he'd have just snapped his neck, he'd be dead."
The BBC conducted an independent health and safety review following the incident.
"[The review] found that while BBC Studios had complied with the required BBC policies and industry best practice in making the show, there were important learnings which would need to be rigorously applied to future Top Gear UK productions," a BBC spokesman stated.