Is Jonathan Goodwin OK? 'AGT Extreme' stuntman slammed between 2 cars 40 feet in air
GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING
A video from the set of the new reality show 'America's Got Talent: Extreme' has surfaced online, which shows famous stuntman Jonathan Goodwin facing a near-death situation in a stunt gone wrong. The 41-year-old professional escapologist was gravely injured after he was slammed between two exploding cars mid-air. The incident reportedly happened during the rehearsal of the show, where Goodwin was supposed to free himself and fall safely to the ground before the vehicles collided. It is believed that he slightly miscalculated the timing, which ended up being a serious mishap.
In the video clip exclusively obtained by TMZ, the stuntman can be seen hanging mid-air between two cars, before the two vehicles collide and a massive explosion takes place. Goodwin then dropped to the ground from a height of more than 40 feet and landed on his head. The extent of his injuries initially gave everyone the impression that he was already dead. However, once he was found to be breathing, he was airlifted to the hospital immediately.
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The Welsh stuntman had previously participated in Season 15 of 'America's Got Talent' in 2020 and had impressed the audience and judges with his death-defying acts. In 2013, he grabbed the headlines for dangling from a blazing rope over the River Thames while wearing a straightjacket. Later, he performed regularly on his own TV series 'The Incredible Mr Goodwin'. The audience once saw him suspended upside down from the London Eye and escaping to safety.
His accident happened on the night of Thursday, October 14, 2021, at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Following the shocking fall, Goodwin was unresponsive at first leading people to believe he was already dead. But soon the crew found him clinging onto his life and placed a frantic call to 911. A recording of the 911 call has been released by The Sun, where a woman can be heard describing the accident. "We are at the Atlanta Motor Speedway at the America's Got Talent filming location. We had a man suspended from a cable with cars that were supposed to slam into each other, and he didn't drop in time and they slammed into him. He's about a 40-year-old white male. He fell about 40 feet. He missed the airbag and landed on his head," the woman added.
Goodwin reportedly underwent surgery at the hospital and will continue to receive treatment there. Meanwhile, the team of 'America's Got Talent: Extreme' issued a statement about the incident, stating, "During a rehearsal last evening for America's Got Talent: Extreme, an accident occurred in which escape artist Jonathan Goodwin was injured while performing his act. He was responsive and was immediately taken to the hospital where he is continuing to receive medical care. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family as we await further updates on his condition."