Actor and comedian Omar Gooding Jr. recently took to social media to share a life update from a hospital bed. Gooding revealed to his fans that he was recently involved in a severe car accident, but thankfully, he is on the road to recovery and crediting one simple safety measure for saving his life: his seatbelt.
In an Instagram caption, Gooding broke down exactly what happened to clear the air and stop the influx of frantic phone calls from worried fans and friends. The actor explained that he was asleep in the backseat of a car on his way to the airport when the terrifying crash occurred.
Addressing the rumors about his condition, he clarified the extent of his injuries. “Yes, I was in a bad accident. No, I did not break my neck… completely,” he wrote. “Hangman’s fracture is what they call it. GOD IS GOOD.”
A Hangman’s fracture is a serious break in the upper cervical spine, but fortunately for Gooding, the injury won’t require him to go under the knife.
If there is one major takeaway Gooding wants his fans to know, it is the absolute necessity of buckling up, even when you’re just sleeping in the back seat.
In a video accompanying his post, a grateful and spirited Gooding spoke directly to his followers from his hospital bed. “There will not be a clone of me. I’m good. No surgery needed. Thank Jesus,” he said in the video.
“I’m going to start doing seatbelt commercials. So everybody want to send me something, send me them seatbelt commercial ads. I sure wouldn’t be here without ’em. Whew!” In his caption, he reiterated the point, noting that if he hadn’t been wearing his seatbelt, the outcome would have been much worse.
For now, Gooding’s main focus is resting and healing. He noted that he isn’t sure exactly how long he will be hospitalized, but his doctors have estimated a three-month recovery period. This means he expects to be back on his feet and ready to hit the stage in time for the summer.
He plans to update his website with his rescheduled show dates as he recovers, but for now, he has a simple request for his followers: stop calling his phone so that his immediate family can get through to him.
We are keeping Omar in our thoughts and praying for a full and speedy recovery.
