Oscar-nominated actress Minnie Driver has revealed she is recovering after surviving what she described as a “really bad car accident” in France, saying she feels incredibly fortunate to be alive.
The 56-year-old Good Will Hunting and Emily in Paris star shared the news in an emotional video posted to Instagram, filmed from her home in London while wearing a neck brace.
“Paris update is that I’m actually back in London,” Driver told fans. “I got into a really bad car accident a few days ago with my friend Ben and we somehow walked out of it. Well, we didn’t walk out of it. We crawled out of it. But we did get out of it alive.”
Driver said the crash happened on a country road in France when another vehicle allegedly failed to stop at an intersection.
“To be very clear, it was not our fault,” she said. “We were driving on a country road in the middle of France and a car didn’t stop at an intersection and was going at speed and we just T-boned it.”
Although Driver escaped with a sprained neck, she admitted the emotional impact has been just as significant.
“I’m fine. I’ve got a sprained neck and I’m really in shock and sort of cry all the time, but I’m gonna heal,” she said.
The actress credited the safety features of the Kia electric vehicle she and her friend were travelling in with saving their lives, praising its airbags and structural design.
“The reason that I’m not dead, honestly, is the car we were driving,” she said, adding that she wanted to publicly thank the manufacturer because “we’ve got families and people who love us and I am so grateful to be alive.”
Alongside the video, Driver shared photographs of the wrecked vehicle and of herself and her friend wearing neck braces after the crash.
In the post’s caption, she thanked the van driver who stopped to help before emergency services arrived, while expressing disappointment that another motorist slowed down to look at the scene but drove away without offering assistance.
She also gave a candid insight into the emotional recovery that often follows traumatic events.
“My brain keeps replaying the crash which is very hard but seems to be a necessary part of processing,” she wrote. “Weeping too, feels good and helpful.”
The post prompted an outpouring of support from fans and fellow celebrities, many wishing Driver a speedy recovery after her frightening ordeal.
Images: Instagram
