West Ham United forward Michail Antonio was rescued from the debris of his £260,000 Ferrari yesterday after a serious car accident.
The striker was airlifted to a hospital after emergency services spent nearly an hour extricating him from the wrecked vehicle.
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Antonio was reported to be in serious condition after crashing into trees in Theydon Bois, Essex.
Disturbing images revealed his £260,000 Ferrari FF wrecked against trees after veering off the road at around 12:50 PM.
Motorists who witnessed the incident called for emergency assistance, leading to firefighters rescuing the 34-year-old by 1:45 PM.
The father of four was then flown to a central London hospital.
READ MORE ON MICHAIL ANTONIO
His ex-wife Debbie traveled from her residence in Manchester to be with him.
A source revealed to The Sun on Sunday: “He is in serious condition.
“He is conscious and able to communicate, but everybody at the club is extremely concerned. We are all just hoping for his recovery.”
Witnesses noted grey smoke rising from the vehicle, which crashed in Theydon Bois, Essex—close to the home of West Ham owner David Sullivan.
A witness remarked: “Many cars had stopped, and people were calling emergency services.
“The conditions were terrible; it was raining heavily, windy, and the roadway was incredibly slippery. It appeared to be a single-car incident with no other vehicles involved.”
West Ham star Michail Antonio involved in horror car crash
“I later found out who he was. I genuinely hope he’s alright.”
Another driver at the scene explained: “The right wing, right front wheel, and driver’s door were all torn off.
“I could see that firefighters had to cut different sections of the car to free him.”
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The Essex County Fire and Rescue Service stated: “Emergency crews were alerted at 1:02 PM. Firefighters confirmed that a man was trapped in his vehicle and successfully freed him by 1:45 PM.
“He was then handed over to the Ambulance Service.”
The Ferrari FF is known for having been the fastest four-seater car globally when it was launched in 2011.
With a top speed of 208 mph, it can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds.
West Ham United released a statement: “We can confirm that Michail Antonio is currently stable following a road traffic incident in Essex.
‘Thoughts and prayers’
“Michail is alert, communicating with medical staff, and is under close monitoring at a hospital in central London.
“The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the club are with Michail, his family, and friends.”
“The club will provide no further comments tonight but will share updates in due course.”
West Ham’s next Premier League match is scheduled against Wolves tomorrow evening.
The South London native was previously involved in a crash with a Lamborghini back in 2019.
He started his football career at Tooting & Mitcham, a non-league club.
Emergency services were called to the scene, and the driver was taken to the hospital.
Essex Police
He transferred to West Ham from Nottingham Forest in 2015 for £7 million, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League with 68 goals across 268 appearances.
Though he received three call-ups for the England national team, he did not play in any matches. In 2021, he chose to represent Jamaica, the country of his parents.
Antonio is now divorced from Debbie, whom he wed in 2017, and co-hosts the BBC’s Footballer’s Football podcast with Newcastle’s Callum Wilson.
The Essex Police have initiated an investigation and are looking for witnesses and dashcam footage.
The force stated: “We received reports shortly after 12:50 PM on Saturday, December 7, of what appears to be a single-vehicle collision involving a Ferrari.
“Emergency services responded promptly, and the driver was transported to the hospital.”
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Previous Christmas crash in Lambo
MICHAIL Antonio was previously involved in another supercar incident—this time in his £210,000 Lamborghini.
He attributed that accident to icy conditions when he crashed into a garden wall on Christmas Day in 2019, while dressed as a snowman.
He later recounted: “I was probably going about 30, maybe 35, on a road with a 30 mph speed limit.
“The car handles corners so well that I thought I didn’t need to brake; I could just round the corner without any issues, it’s a marvelous car.
“But as I turned, it skidded. I panicked and hit the brakes.
“That’s the worst thing to do on ice; braking makes you accelerate. It was chaotic—and here I was in a snowman costume.”
He escaped from that incident without any injuries and played for West Ham the following day in a 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace.
By Len Read
