Morgan Freeman Injured in Car Accident
By Craig Kennedy - August 4th, 2008; 10:05 am
AP reports that 71-year-old Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman is hospitalized in ’serious condition’ after being involved in an auto accident in Mississipi just before midnight Sunday.
Few details are known, though a police spokesman says Freeman’s car went airborne off the highway and landed in a ditch. He was conscious and joking with rescuers while being extricated from the vehicle.
My best wishes go out to Mr. Freeman.
Filed under: News
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“He was conscious and joking with rescuers while being extricated from the vehicle”
I didn’t know about that particular fact. Somehow, it makes me feel better.
ETA: Just read this on the NYT: “McFerrin said bystanders converged on the scene trying to get a glimpse of the actor.
When one person tried to snap a photo with a cell phone camera, Freeman joked, ”no freebies, no freebies,” McFerrin said.”
What is wrong with people? Seriously. You see a 71 year old man injured in what appears to be a serious car wreck, and your instinct is to take a damn picture?
People are nuts.
My best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to him.
“What is wrong with people? Seriously. You see a 71 year old man injured in what appears to be a serious car wreck, and your instinct is to take a damn picture?”
Not every day you see God in a car accident.
Too soon :)
People snapping pix of an accident victim with their cell phones is exactly what I loathe about these devices and our creepy reality show society.
Happy Monday!
It’s exactly that kind of behavior that makes me think twice about even posting this kind of thing. My only purpose was to express good will for the man, yet I still feel tacky.
I second the good will. The tacky behavior was the cell phones, so unless you post a grab from TMZ with one of those, I think your taste remains good.
It’s still a very fine line. I generally try to steer clear of anything that happens off screen. Had he not been in serious condition and 71 years old, I’d likely have skipped it.
I posted the news simply because of Freeman’s status as one of our greats. But I agree that I tend to avoid these things as well when they border on tabloid exploitation (e.g., Shia LaBeouf’s accident, etc.).
Jeff Wells applauds TMZ for getting those accident photos up quick. What a scumbag.
Jeff Wells a scumbag? No way!
Well, think of it this way, Craig, Morgan Freeman, besides being a man at a ripe age who is in “serious condition,” has given the world many a fine performance in the past. Not that I don’t hope all people no matter what their jobs are all right after a car accident, but if we lost Freeman it would feel like a hole in the pool of American acting talent suddenly appeared. Make fun of his omnipotent voice-over and some of his obvious paycheck jobs, but it’s true.
Christian, I’m with you on cell phones.
Thanks for that update Christian. I feel better now.
It’s always nice to know some people set the scumbag bar so low, I can easily step over it.
And yes Alexander, it goes without saying the dude is a legend.
It does indeed go without saying, Craig, you’re right. Just trying to reinforce your justifications. This isn’t Ashton Kutcher we’re writing and worrying about. (Again, I hope Kutcher lives a long and healthy life, but you get the idea)
I wasn’t saying you shouldn’t have mentioned, I was just covering my own ass for not stating it in the first place.
It’s weird to me that there were even people on site to take all these pictures. I spent some time in Clarksdale, MS, a few years ago, where I believe Freeman lives and owns a restaurant. This place is rural MS Delta land, country roads passing by cotton fields. At that time of night it’s a miracle somebody even passed by to call in the accident.
Sounds like he was lucky to not be more seriously injured. Hope he recovers quickly and comfortably.
I understand, Craig.
Daniel, thanks for that personally-gathered information. You sure travel a great deal. My dad lived in Mobile, Alabama for a while, teaching, so he knows that area pretty well, too. Like you, he was surprised that somone passed by to call in the accident.
Right, Alexander, it’s no man’s land down there in the Delta.
I suppose I have been to some pretty far reaches of this country. Every state, I believe, except HI and AK. Unfortunately, most of my international travel happens in a movie theater these days.
When I do have a trip confirmed, though, I find I’m so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it’s the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.
I certainly wish him well. And this is probably tacky to consider, but if his condition deteriorates, you know we’re soon going to see news stories about “The Dark Knight Curse”–first Ledger, then Bale, then Freeman. That desire to tie everything to pop culture and sensationalize it disgusts me, too. Life is hard. Sad shit happens. Art happens sometimes in the midst of it all, both despite and because of it, but it’s not all about the cheap headlines.
Well said, jennybee.
By the way, I hope you don’t take offense to me calling the Delta area “no man’s land”, as it could be considered to approach your neighborhood in AR as well!
All I meant was that I MS roads seemed to be pretty desolate to me at all hours of the day.
In a world where Tom O’Neil is speculating on how Christina Applegate’s breast cancer news will help her Emmy bid Jennybee, I’ll be shocked if you’re not right.
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2008/08/how-will-cancer.html
Thanks for the great quote, Daniel.
Latest news is that Mr. Freeman has a broken arm and broken shoulder. He and a passenger were both wearing seat belts; air bags on the ‘97 Nissan did not deploy. The car had flipped several times after running off the edge of rural Highway 32, outside Ruleville, Mississippi.
(TMZ had reported earlier that ribs and a knee were broken, but I’m laying off picking a bone with the big guys for a couple of days.)
Your prediction was right on target, jennybee. The Telegraph, UK (not the source of these details) ran a story with virtually no relevant facts at all, under the squirmy headline: “Morgan Freeman crash: the curse of The Dark Knight?”
Speedy recovery, Mr. Freeman, sir.
yeesh, wouldn’t you think the day after O’Neil of The Huffingtom Post jabbers on and on about his classy-ass Emmy coverage, he’d try to come up with an item to prove he has an ounce of the rare substance known as courtesy? Instead we get his cancer awards diagnosis. (”No doubt this sad news will cause voters to be more sympathetic, thus hiking her chances a bit.”)
Thanks for the link, Craig. I hate to click it, because of the collateral damage. Plan to start getting all my Gold Derby updates from Vulture, second-hand. That way I won’t loose sleep over the moral consequences of raking through the muck.
AHAHAHAH…that kitten joke made me laugh louder than Simple Jack.
Thing is, one would also assume Tom Zero wouldn’t have lashed out at you like a wounded child with a 2000 word screed, but there it is.
My reference point for what the man is capable of has been erased (or deleted).
Craig, ALL OF US here know that you had NOTHING but good intentions when you put this up.
I heard about this as soon as I got up today. If something serious happens to MORGAN I’m gonna lose it, I swear. I didn’t like TDK and it’s bad enough that we lost HEATH. I don’t want any of his co-stars to start packing up and leaving.
I worship MORGAN. I think he’s fantastic. Surely we all have our respective times. But I really don’t want anything to happen to him now while the movie’s still in release. That would just be too creepy.
Good thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Freeman and his family. I hope his recovery is swift and complete.
Danny, your SR quote (in comment #17) almost made me misty.
And if anyone thinks breast cancer is a joke they should be whipped publicly. There are tons of survivors around. If it’s caught early, chances of being as good as new can go well past the 90 percentile range - and women can keep their bodies intact with very little wear and tear.
But to suggest that a potentially life threatening disease can, may or should be used as a sympathy ploy for some retarded award is morally offensive.
AT BEST……….
How long until the Batman Curse talk becomes louder? LEdger, Bale, now this. Aaron Eckhart has gotta be sweatin’ bullets.
I hope Michael Caine is all right. He’s no spring chicken.