Comedy Actor Kevin Hart at the premiere of Universal Pictures' Night School movie in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 24, 2018. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Comedian Kevin Hart reportedly suffered three spinal fractures during a weekend car crash in California.
TMZ reported on Sept. 5 that Hart, 40, underwent surgery for the three fractures after his vintage Plymouth Barracuda crashed just minutes away from his home on Labor Day.
The surgery involved fusing the spinal fractures, and two of them were in the thoracic section and one was in the lumbar area, the news outlet reported, citing a source close to the matter.
Hart is said to be under heavy medication due to the intense pain, TMZ reported, saying he is “going through hell” following the crash and surgeries.
In this Jan. 10, 2016, file photo, Eniko Parrish, left, and Kevin Hart arrive at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. The couple were wed in a lavish ceremony near Santa Barbara, Calif. on Saturday, Aug. 13. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
Doctors said that he is expected to make a full recovery, but he will require months of physical therapy, according to previous reports.
His friends, Jared Black and Rebecca Broxterman, were also in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
His wife, Eniko Parrish, previously told reporters that he is “going to be just fine.”
Parrish told E! News on Sept. 2 that “he’s good. Everybody’s good.”
The latest update as 911 calls revealed the severity of the crash. “I don’t know what happened … He’s not coherent at all,” an unidentified woman calling from the comedian’s home told a 911 operator, reported the New York Post. “He can’t move,” she added, saying that he was “breathing.”
“The roof is crushed. And the car is pretty totaled. The door is smashed in,” said a driver to a 911 operator after stopped to help at the crash site.
Later, he tried to console Black and Broxterman.
“Help’s coming, guys, don’t worry. The ambulance is on the way,” he yelled to them, the Post reported.
Reports said that Hart wasn’t driving. Police officials said there is no indication that alcohol or drugs were involved, according to ABC7.
The California Highway Patrol confirmed Hart sustained injuries in the 12:45 a.m. crash, reported ABC7. It took place around Mulholland Highway and Cold Canyon Road.
Kevin Hart speaks during during the "Night School" Atlanta University Center press junket at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia on Sept. 11, 2018. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)
“Two of the three occupants were trapped inside,” the CHP added to the Los Angeles Times. “The remaining occupant and the owner of the vehicle, Kevin Hart, left the scene to his nearby residence to get medical attention.”
A spokesman for the California Highway Patrol told Yahoo that officials are looking at whether excessive speed factored into the crash.
“It’s something we look at with pretty much every collision, so it’s not really unique to this collision,” CHP officer Weston Haver said. “A lot of [the] time speed is a factor… but that is something the investigating officer is looking into.”
Some celebrities wished him well on social media following the incident.
“Stop messing with my emotions brother @kevinhart4real," His “Jumanji” co-star, Dwayne Johnson, wrote. "We have a lot more laughing to do together. Love you man. Stay strong.”
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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