Actress and stuntwoman Carrie Bernans was critically injured in a hit-and-run incident in Manhattan early Monday morning.
According to a police report obtained by People, the 29-year-old, who recently appeared in major films including The Color Purple and Black Panther, was dining outdoors when a black Mercedes plowed into the Chirp restaurant
around 1:30 a.m. The new mother, whose child was not there at the time, suffered several broken bones and is in stable condition at an area hospital.The collision occurred during “a police foot chase” after officers responded to reports of a physical assault involving a 44-year-old male Mercedes driver and his 34-year-old female passenger near 33rd Street and 6th Avenue. According to a statement, “Officers…ordered the male operator of the vehicle to put the vehicle into park. The male failed to obey and fled westbound on 33rd Street before…mount[ing] the sidewalk and…traveling westbound,” where he then “struck a food cart and two 39-year-old female pedestrians, a 31-year-old female pedestrian and a 29-year-old female pedestrian.”
Two officers were also hurt when the driver “mounted the curb…again” and crashed into parked and moving vehicles before being apprehended. All injured parties except the driver were last reported in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital, where the driver himself remains in critical condition. An ongoing investigation follows the incident.
In a series of Instagram images, Bernans’ mother, Patricia Lee, revealed her daughter’s
devastating injuries from the hit-and-run. One photo shows Bernans’ battered, bloody face with chipped and broken teeth. “She’s still in so much pain and can’t answer calls at this time, but appreciate the messages,” Lee wrote. “This was a traumatic incident. Please keep Carrie in your thoughts.”Describing the collision itself, Lee said Bernans was knocked unconscious and pinned under the stand: “She has a few broken bones, fractures, & chipped teeth, but thanking God that she’s alive.”
Lee emphasized her daughter’s resilient spirit. “This setback hasn’t deterred her belief that something remarkable is still being crafted by God,” she wrote. “Despite the injuries sustained…she’s filled with hope and faith.” After surgery, and thanks to helpful first responders, strangers, family and friends, Bernans has started the “path toward recovery and new beginnings.”