The actor is finally back to work, at least somewhat.
Since an accident in his restomod 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda nicknamed Menace, comedian Kevin Hart has been uncharacteristically silent, until now. The celebrity has issued an official statement through his attorney, touching on the explosive topic of that fateful night on Mulholland Highway when he and the driver of his car, Jared Black, were both seriously injured.
“I have nothing but love for Jared and wish him and Rebecca a speedy recovery,” Hart said. Rebecca Broxterman, Black’s fiancé, was riding in the back of the car, despite the rear seats having been deleted and replaced with a sound system and storage compartments.
Hart’s attorney revealed the actor has been working on the Jumanji sequel, but not like some would hope. “Hart has not been in full costume for these shoots, and he’s not walking much for them either – sitting through most of the day – even though he can walk on his own.” He went on to say Hart would likely be working full-time in early 2020.
California Highway Patrol finally issued a public report, concluding reckless driving was to blame for the crash, not mechanical failure. That’s a relief for the car community since it lessens the chance of California pushing through legislation to require seatbelts and airbags in older cars.
The issue of Hart or the other two suing each other or Speedkore, the shop which built Menace, is still up in the air.
The CHP report states that Black accelerated recklessly while turning onto Mulholland Highway. He lost control while accelerating through the turn, which is criminal reckless driving. The 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda with carbon-fiber body panels, a supercharged 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine, upgraded brakes, chassis reinforcements, and other big modifications veered out of control off the road, smashing through a fence and hit a tree so hard the back end of the muscle car flew up, crushing the roof against the trunk and uprooting the tree. The car and tree then rolled down the embankment. First responders had to cut the vehicle open to get Black and Broxterman out.
There’s be no word on what will happen with the ’70 Plymouth Cuda, leaving Menace’s fate uncertain.