Life imitates art: Mr. Bean actor in car crack-up

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LONDON -- Mr. Bean actor Rowan Atkinson, whose character is known for hapless driving in the television shows and films, left a hospital Friday after being treated for minor injuries following a sports car crash in southern England.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/08/2011 (5534 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LONDON — Mr. Bean actor Rowan Atkinson, whose character is known for hapless driving in the television shows and films, left a hospital Friday after being treated for minor injuries following a sports car crash in southern England.

The 56-year-old comedian was driving his McLaren F1 supercar — one of the world’s fastest road cars — when he crashed late Thursday, striking a tree and a lamppost before the vehicle caught fire, authorities said.

Firefighters said Atkinson hadn’t been trapped inside the car. Britain’s Daily Mirror tabloid reported that the actor was able to walk away from the vehicle and flag down other motorists for help.

Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean
Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean

Atkinson was seen leaving Peterborough City Hospital with four security guards Friday afternoon, but made no comment to reporters. Publicists did not disclose details of his injuries.

The accident occurred close to Haddon, a village about 140 kilometres north of London.

Atkinson was given a routine breathalyzer test at the scene and will face no criminal charges, police said.

His McLaren F1 car has a top speed of 230 mph (370 km-h), though police did not suggest Atkinson had been speeding. The exclusive cars can cost around $1 million.

The actor, a car enthusiast, appears in a series of motoring mishaps in his Mr. Bean series. He is shown in one program driving a Mini while seated on the vehicle’s roof. Atkinson is also known for the historical comedy series Blackadder.

— The Associated Press

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