As TMZ reported, Will Ferrell was involved in a car accident on Thursday night. The actor was rushed to a hospital, so is Will Ferrell OK? Fortunately, Ferrell has been released from the hospital and is going to be fine, Deadline reported on Friday morning. Bustle reached out to a manager for Ferrell for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
UPDATE: United Talent Agency released the following statement to Bustle on Ferrell's behalf:
While traveling back to Los Angeles after hosting a voter registration event in San Diego, a car carrying Will Ferrell and three of his colleagues was struck on the freeway by another vehicle. Will and his colleague, Andrew Steele, were unhurt and have been released from an Orange County hospital. Will’s longtime driver, Mark Thompson, and his other colleague Carolina Barlow, remain hospitalized in stable condition. Will is staying close by as his friends are being treated, and has expressed his deep gratitude to the first responders who were immediately at the scene and to the hospital team that took such great care of them. He’s also grateful for all the well wishes he and his friends are receiving.
EARLIER: The actor, along with two other people, was riding in an SUV that was hit by another driver who had reportedly fallen asleep at the wheel. The collision caused the SUV to flip over, according to TMZ. Ferrell was then taken to a hospital by ambulance. Ferrell was apparently speaking on his cellphone (and was therefore conscious) while being lifted into the ambulance, TMZ notes.
According to officials, the SUV Ferrell was riding in "was sideswiped from the right rear by a Toyota, causing the SUV to spin and flip over," TMZ reports. Law enforcement officials don't believe drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, though TMZ originally reported that beer bottles were seen on the ground near the crash. The California Highway Patrol told Deadline that the incident happened just before 11:00 p.m. The accident took place on Interstate 5 in Southern California. According to TMZ, police are still investigating the incident, and no arrests have been made.
Ferrell's manager told Deadline that the comedian is doing well after the incident. It's not clear what happened to the SUV's other two passengers, though. TMZ reports that one of them was a woman who was "bleeding profusely," according to an eyewitness at the scene. According to The Hollywood Reporter, all four people in the SUV — Ferrell and the other two passengers, along with the driver — were taken to the hospital, and none of them suffered life-threatening injuries.
The two-car crash apparently happened after Ferrell went to a Funny or Die event outside San Diego, where he appeared as his iconic Anchorman character, Ron Burgundy. The event was apparently being held in conjunction with the Glam Up the Midterms movement, which aims to mobilize millennial voters ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
Comedian Billy Eichner appeared onstage at the event (as himself) alongside Ferrell's Burgundy. The two apparently talked about the upcoming primary elections in California. And, naturally, Funny or Die advertised the event by cribbing on Ron Burgundy's signature catchphrase. Funny or Die encouraged event attendees to "Vote classy, San Diego" — that's definitely one way to get the point across.
The car crash was a terrible accident, but the Glam Up the Midterms event was for a good cause. According to the event's website, just 12 percent of "young people" voted in the most recent midterm election. That's not a great voter turnout, and it's nice to see that Ferrell and Eichner are taking action to change those stats.
Ferrell has participated in get-out-the-vote efforts in previous years, too. In 2016, the actor appeared in an ad for Hillary Clinton, adding his signature comedy to the video. Pretending to be a "typical, run-of-the-mill millennial," Ferrell, clad in a "Nasty Woman" T-shirt, urges his fellow young people to vote. Ferrell also appeared in a 2012 get-out-the-vote video, too. He's clearly dedicated to making sure Americans exercise their civic rights.
It's fortunate that the car crash on Thursday night wasn't worse, and it sounds like Ferrell is doing well after the incident. The fact that the accident took place is terrible, but it's nice to see that the comedian is still working to get his fans involved in the voting process.
