The Telegraph
West Ham United forward Michail Antonio was rescued from the remains of his £260,000 Ferrari yesterday after being involved in a serious car accident.
The striker was airlifted to a hospital after emergency personnel worked for nearly an hour to extricate him from the badly wrecked vehicle.
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Antonio was reported to be in critical condition after colliding with trees in Theydon Bois, Essex.
Shocking photographs revealed his £260,000 Ferrari FF wrecked against the trees after leaving the roadway at around 12:50 PM.
Drivers nearby alerted the firefighters, who managed to rescue the 34-year-old by 1:45 PM.
The father of four was subsequently 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 informed The Sun on Sunday: “He is in a serious condition.”
“He is awake and able to communicate, but everyone at the club is deeply concerned. We are all just hoping for his recovery.”
Witnesses reported seeing grey smoke arising from the vehicle, which crashed in Theydon Bois, Essex—close to West Ham owner David Sullivan’s home.
One witness shared: “Numerous cars had stopped, and individuals were calling emergency services.
“The weather was terrible; there was heavy rain, wind, and the road was extremely slippery. It did not seem like there was another vehicle involved. It looked like it had spun out of control.”
West Ham star Michail Antonio involved in horror car crash
“I later found out who he was. I sincerely hope he’s okay.”
Another driver present at the scene recounted: “The right wing was torn off along with the right front wheel and driver’s door.
“I observed that firefighters had to cut through sections of the vehicle to liberate him.”
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The Essex County Fire and Rescue Service stated: “Emergency teams were notified at 1:02 PM. Firefighters confirmed that an individual was trapped in his vehicle and freed him by 1:45 PM.
“He was then transferred into the care of the Ambulance Service.”
The Ferrari FF was known as 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 being closely monitored 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 refrain from making any further comments this evening but will provide updates when appropriate.”
West Ham’s next Premier League match is against Wolves tomorrow evening.
The South London native was previously involved in an accident with a Lamborghini in 2019.
He began his professional career at the non-league club Tooting & Mitcham.
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, and the driver was taken to the hospital.
Essex Police
Antonio 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 in 268 appearances.
Despite being selected for the England squad three times, he never played for the national team. In 2021, he chose to represent Jamaica, the homeland of his parents.
Antonio is now divorced from Debbie, whom he married in 2017, and co-hosts the BBC’s Footballer’s Football podcast alongside Newcastle’s Callum Wilson.
The Essex Police have launched an investigation and are searching for witnesses and dashcam footage.
The force said: “We received reports shortly after 12:50 PM on Saturday, December 7, regarding what appears to be a single-vehicle collision involving a Ferrari.
“Emergency services attended the scene, 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 mishap—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 fantastic 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 emerged unscathed and played for West Ham the following day in a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace.
By Len Read
