Oscar winning actor and star of The Dark Knight Morgan Freeman was hospitalised at the weekend following a car crash, a spokeswoman said.
71 year old Freeman, who has played all the big roles from the President to God, was traveling along Highway 32 in the state of Mississippi, where he lives with his wife Myrna. Witnesses say that his Nissan Maxima left the road and, as he overcompensated in an attempt to regain control, flipped several times, getting partially crushed in the process. He and his passenger, Demaris Meyer, had to be mechanically extracted from the vehicle and were flown more than 100 miles to a Tennessee hospital in an air ambulance.
The police have reported that Freeman was talking, and even telling jokes, at the scene of the accident. He and Meyer had been wearing seatbelts which probably saved their lives. The police ruled out alcohol as a factor in the crash.
Although he was initially reported to be 'in serious condition', it has now been reported that Freeman has sustained only a broken arm and a broken shoulder. He elected to have immediate surgery and his prognosis is now good - he hopes to be back at work in just six to eight weeks.