Michail Antonio crashed on a “very slippery” road during Storm Darragh when his Ferrari “went out of control”, a witness has claimed.
The West Ham star, 34, was reportedly left with a broken leg as firefighters battled for 45 minutes to free the father-of-four from his £260,000 vehicle following the brutal crash in Theydon Bois, Essex.
After being airlifted to hospital, the star was said to be in “serious condition”, with his ex-wife Debbie apparently rushing to his side.
One witness claimed the dramatic experience was caused by the extreme weather conditions brought on by Storm Darragh, which is currently wreaking havoc across the country.
‘The weather was terrible, it was raining, it was windy and the road was very slippery. It didn’t appear there was another car involved. “It seemed like it had gotten out of control,” the witness said. the sun.
Only later did I find out who he was. I hope he’s okay.’
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service revealed crews were called at 1.02pm on Saturday after Antonio crashed into a tree at around 12.50pm.
Photos have emerged of a wrecked Ferrari, purportedly showing the aftermath of the crash.
West Ham confirmed that Michail Antonio (pictured) was involved in a car accident
It was previously revealed that the footballer may have suffered injuries to both legs and damaged a femur while being examined by doctors at a central London hospital.
Photos taken at the crash site show extensive damage to the right side of the gray Ferrari, from which gray smoke was reportedly billowing.
Shortly after the images began circulating on social media, West Ham confirmed that the Jamaican international had been involved in an accident.
The club later said the player is “conscious and communicating” after being taken to hospital.
A full statement from the club reads: ‘West Ham United can confirm that Michail Antonio is stable following a road traffic accident this afternoon in the Essex area.
‘Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision in a central London hospital.
Another image appears to show the Premier League star’s wrecked vehicle.
Antonio was a key piece for West Ham to win the 2022 Europa Conference League
‘At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family.
“The Club will not be making any further comment this afternoon but will issue a further update in due course.”
Essex Police are now appealing for dashcam footage as officers investigate the serious collision in Epping on Coppice Row which took place shortly after 12.50pm.
It is believed to have been a single-vehicle collision and the Ferrari has since been recovered and is no longer at the scene.
Essex Police said the Highway Police unit will carry out an investigation into the crash.
The Hammers were not in action on Saturday and will host Wolves on Monday night.
The Premier League player had already been involved in a car accident on Christmas Day 2019.
The footballer had crashed his £210,000 Lamborghini Huracan into a rubbish shed at a family home in Balham, south London, while dressed as a snowman after losing control of his car.
Antonio previously spoke about the financial consequences of the accident.
“I had a hard time getting insurance this year,” he said three years ago. ‘No one wanted to insure me!
On Christmas Day 2019, Michail Antonio crashed his car into the garden of a house in London
Antonio is seen getting out of his £210,000 Lamborghini after crashing into a front garden.
Antonio was dressed as a snowman after club training that morning
‘I had to go to a specialist insurance company, so my insurance this year is crazy! I have a G63 now. They were offering me £10,000 for an (Audi) A3 to insure, or get a G63 and pay double the price but be able to drive a G63 instead of an A3.
‘I’d rather pay £20,000 and drive a G63 than pay £10,000 and drive an A3.
‘It was Christmas Day. It still hurts me today. I miss that car. Basically, I was driving but the road was slippery.
‘In the car, it corners very well and stays on the road, so I was doing 30-35mph on a 30mph road. Since it handles the curves, I don’t think I need to brake, I’m just going to go around the curve like I do all the time.
But when I turn the corner, it skids. So while it’s skidding, I shit and slam on the brakes, the worst thing you can do on ice since you’re just accelerating when you’re supposed to be going forward.
“So I hit the brakes, skidded and went on the sidewalk, but I don’t really remember it, it all happened so fast.”
“Then there’s smoke coming out of the front of the car and the engine is in the back, so I’m thinking ‘the car’s going to explode!’, even if it’s just the airbags.
‘So I have to jump out of the passenger side of the little car. It’s crazy.
‘And the thing is, I was also dressed as a snowman. I don’t understand why I didn’t take it out and fix it.
The forward began representing Jamaica internationally back in 2021
Antonio has been an ever-present in West Ham’s Premier League team so far this season.
The 34-year-old has made 15 appearances in all competitions for West Ham during the campaign and scored one goal.
Antonio is West Ham’s all-time Premier League top scorer, having scored 68 goals in the top flight.
The striker joined the club in 2015 from Nottingham Forest and was part of the team that won the UEFA Conference League in 2017.
He was also named the club’s Player of the Year in 2017.
Father-of-four Antonio revealed earlier this year that he was in therapy after losing his love for football to the point where he once expected to be sidelined by injury.
The 34-year-old was feeling increasing pressure on his mental health due to his divorce from his ex-wife.
“I was going through my divorce and stuff, and I honestly couldn’t understand it,” Antonio shared on
“After we won, the whole team went out, the manager (David Moyes) went out, he went furious, a couple of kids didn’t sleep for two days, they just got drunk for two days.
Antonio is West Ham’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League with 68 goals
Antonio joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest (pictured in the center, in 2014) nine years ago.
“I was asleep on the coach and returned to the hotel. “I was mentally exhausted from everything that was going on outside of my football and then I went back to the hotel and went to sleep while everyone was partying.”
“It probably wasn’t until December that I found myself in a better place and thought, ‘Oh my God, I’ve won a European championship.'”
The striker noted during a match in December 2022 that he couldn’t stop thinking “I’m not enjoying football.”
“During the game, I thought, ‘I’m not really enjoying this.’ I felt quite negative. I’m also a very positive person.
“I didn’t score from December until I think March or April came around. And I felt exhausted. And then I went with Jamaica because I was enjoying football with Jamaica for some strange reason. But I actually prayed for an injury.
“I thought, ‘I just want to get injured, I want some time off.’
‘So, it’s all those things that go through your mind. You’re thinking, “Is this the end for me?” Is my football career over?
‘I started therapy because I was really struggling. And how I grew up, it never existed. I thought therapy was for crazy people. But therapy changed my life. At first it was awkward, I’m not going to lie. You’re sitting in the room, there was someone there and they say, “How are you?”
‘And your natural response is “Good.” Then he said to me, “Why are you here?” I told him: “To be honest, I’m struggling with football, I separated from my wife.”