Morgan Freeman was in a very serious car accident last night. According to several media outlets, the 71 year-old Dark Knight actor crashed his 1997 Nissan Maxima on Highway 32 in Mississippi. TMZ and the Memphis CBS affiliate station both are reporting that Freeman may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Though he was conscious and able to talk to state troopers after the accident, Freeman had to be airlifted to a hospital one hundred miles away and is said to be in serious condition.

Morgan Freeman just had the darkest night of his life. The Oscar-winning Batman sidekick is listed in serious condition in a Memphis hospital following a Sunday night car accident, says hospital spokeswoman Kathy Stringer.

Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Ben Williams told Memphis’ NBC affiliate that Freeman and an unidentified female passenger were heading east on Mississippi Highway 32 when his vehicle went off the road. Freeman then overcorrected the vehicle, causing his 1997 Nissan Maxima to flip several times before coming to a rest.

Mediatakeout.com was first to report the smashup, which occurred around 11:30 p.m. just outside the town of Ruleville, Miss. Freeman was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, but apparently was coherent enough to talk to state troopers at the scene.

There was no immediate comment from the actor’s representatives, though CBS’ Memphis affiliate, WREG, reported that Freeman may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Emergency crews responding to the scene reportedly used the jaws of life to free both Freeman and his female passenger from the vehicle. Both were airlifted to the hospital, nicknamed The Med, though there’s no word on the condition of the female passenger.

[From E! News]

A few reports have noted that Freeman’s passenger was a female, and then mention that he’s married, which sounds to me like they’re trying to imply something ridiculous and tacky. It doesn’t seem that the passenger was Freeman’s wife, or that would have been reported by now.

A spokesperson at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis said Freeman is in serious condition. TMZ is also reporting that he broke several ribs and injured his knee – but that his passenger is generally okay, aside from having to be cut out of the vehicle with the jaws of life. They’re both in our thoughts.

Update by Celebitchy: According to a friend of Freeman’s quoted in The Guardian, Freeman was sitting up and talking in the hospital. He was also conscious and talking to rescuers at the crash scene. Drugs and/or alcohol are not thought to have been a factor in the crash:

Williams said the car Freeman had been driving belonged to Demaris Meyer, of Memphis. The car left a rural highway and overturned several times. “There’s no indication that either alcohol or drugs were involved,” Williams said.

There was still no information on Ms Meyer’s condition, he added.

Bill Luckett, a friend of the actor and co-owner of Freeman’s restaurant, Madidi, said he was sitting up and talking at the hospital.

[From Guardian.co.uk]

Update 2: Freeman’s rep says he’s in “good spirits” in the hospital and that he will have surgery for a broken arm, elbow and “shoulder damage.” He is expected to make a full recovery:

“He has a broken arm, broken elbow and minor shoulder damage but he is in good spirits,” said Donna Lee. “He is going to have surgery this afternoon or tomorrow to correct the damage. He says he’ll be okay and is looking forward to a full recovery.”

[From People]

Here are file photos of Morgan Freeman. Credit: WENN