Jerry Seinfeld Cheats Death As Brakes Fail, Car Flips

EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. — Jerry Seinfeld was in a harrowing rollover wreck but was unhurt after the brakes on one of his vintage cars failed.

Seinfeld was driving alone when the brakes on his 1967 Fiat BTM stopped working Saturday evening, East Hampton Town Police Chief Todd Sarris told the New York Post. Seinfeld tried the emergency brake, to no avail, and then swerved to keep the car from careening into an intersection, Sarris said.

The two-door sedan flipped over and came to a stop just yards from the highway, Sarris said, adding that the comic's maneuver "probably avoided a very serious accident."

The wreck was attributed to mechanical failure, and no summonses were issued, Sarris said. Seinfeld, 53, did not require medical attention and returned to his East Hampton home.

"He was a little shocked when he walked in and it started to dawn on him what happened," said his wife, Jessica.

The comedian took the crash in stride.

"Because I know there are kids out there, I want to make sure they all know that driving without braking is not something I recommend, unless you have professional clown training or a comedy background, as I do," Seinfeld said. "It is not something I plan to make a habit of."

The sitcom star, who co-wrote, co-produced and starred in last year's animated "Bee Movie," is an auto aficionado. He told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in November that his favorite car in his collection is a 1955 Porsche Spyder.

(This version CORRECTS careering to careening)

Comments

[mediamarv]

"The comedian took the crash in snide."

Snide????

Somebody trying to audition for Seinfeld"s next show or just sloppy editing...?

[wheelskeepturning]

Well Jerry I'd say its a little intelligence, coordination, experience and a whole lot of GOD.

[fearwig]

Haha, what? "It's proof that God is at work when you almost die but then you don't."

Great work there, Columbo.

[NicoleAnonymous]

So you're saying all the people who have been killed in car accidents died because G_d decided he didn't want to spare their life? How does G_d decide who gets to live and who dies?

Isn't that similar to Dennis Quaid saying "G_d decided to spare our babies and let them live" although two other babies in this country died? I thought it was more about rich people having better medical care but apparently G_d has his own reason for sparing some babies and not others.

[funkalicious]

Fiat = Fix It Again Tony
Of course it could be Karma for Bee Movie

[fearwig]

There's not enough karma in the world to pay Springer back for his career.

[gun]

Now what do you think really happened?

Jerry has readily admitted in the past that he's driven on the edge, exceeding the speed limit by oh, like 50 or 60 mph on Mulholland Drive

-- as I recall -- he said he risked death after every taping of Seinfeld...

This story has all the well doctored ingredients... that only people with a billion dollars and national following can afford, when they are lucky enough not to hurt anyone.

I got nothing against speeding -- if done safely -- because most Americans drive like retarded sheep, but finding that line and staying on one side of it -- is not a 100% certainty kind of thing -- and here he must have slipped over.

It happens to the best of us -- only don't lie to me, as MC says, cause it insults my intelligence.

Especially the old "equipment failure" routine...

[YellowPanties]

Or, the brake cylinders failed on his vintage car.

[dgscol]

Or he came up on the intersection and there was no way the brakes would stop him before getting there.

[Mori]

Doesn't say whether he was using the seatbelt. But it seems to me that he wouldn't have survived the rollover without one.

[JohnFromCensornati]

Good thing we've got Ralph Nader.

[marlovian]

Oh, the sun is shining and the Fiat bashers are out in force. But Fiat owners, past and present, will understand this paraphase from a Jeep slogan (I own both):

It's a FIAT thing - you wouldn't understand.

[blooddoc]

Having owned one (a 1975 124 coupe) I can attest to their quality. Cute bodies, smooth engines, but the rest of the car was mechanical crap. I sold my Fiat six months after I bought it new, for $1000 less than I paid (a 25% depreciation, but word had gotten out), and was glad to get rid of it. To anyone out there who still owns one - good luck, I admire your courage.

[truthbrigade]

1975 124 coupe, ah yes! I thought it was one of the most elegant lines coupes around. You can certainly luxuriate in knowing that you had a relationship with a beautiful, if trashy, model (sometimes this is even more fulfilling!!!).

Good for you.

[carex]

Maybe this is the required epipheny for him to settle the suit again the lady whose cook book his wife plagerized. Life is short, take care of your cars, and don't plagerize others works.

[Kundera]

Harboring a lot of bitterness? Sorry life has been so brutal to you, maybe it's your fault and not the rest of the world.

[[e-mail]]

Do you always assume the worst of people? Sorry for you. It must be hard going through life like that.
Maybe it's not bitterness, but righteous indignation at the way Jessica Seinfeld stole Missy Lapine's book and Jerry Seinfeld defamed her.

[NicoleAnonymous]

There is an interview with Jessica in Vogue this month - she said he new book will be out next year. It's going to be about birthday parties for children and how parents can teach their kids how to do good things such as planting seeds in the yard so they don't feel guilty about spending so much money on these parties. Apparently they're just waiting for someone to actually write the book and give it to her agents - then they can steal it and give it to Jessica so she can publish it.

But it's good Jerry wasn't hurt - I can't stand him or Jessica but I would never want something bad to happen to them.

[JohnFromCensornati]

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

[[e-mail]]

Her third book will be "The Happiness of Cooking."

[fearwig]

Jerry Springer in: "DEATH YOU CAN XEROX"

[hollyo]

I'm surprised that a wealthy vintage car collector doesn't have a
vintage car maintainance person.
I bet Jay Leno does.

[GeoNorth]

I'd give my left arm to be the drummer for Def Leopard....

[unclesmedley]

funny

[JohnFromCensornati]

Imagine that.
A story about nothing.
On HuffPost.

[Strywever]

It's in the Entertainment section. He's an entertainer. Get over yourself.

[JohnFromCensornati]

Who's show was about "nothing".
Get over yourself.

[AdultFilmLegend]

Fiat? I wouldn't trust the brakes in new one, let alone one that is 40 years old.

[MajorKong]

Actually the new ones aren't bad little cars.

[wndrwrthg]

Only goes to prove that there is no god.

[situationcritical]

Or, it only goes to prove there is.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

I suspect you both are wrong. I think it proves the brakes failed.

[michelvaillant]

A vintage car ... and a FIAT to top it off. Retro is cool for some things, but for me, definitely not for cars.

[iPolitics]

“Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason” --Jerry Seinfeld (Glad he's okay)

[adamsmith]

Stick to the Porsche GT, Jerry.....The new BMW 135i looks good too.......