Eugene Mirman, the voice actor best known for playing Gene Belcher in the animated series Bob's Burgers, has thanked the bystanders and emergency personnel who pulled him from a burning car after a crash in New Hampshire. The 51-year-old comedian was injured when his electric vehicle struck a toll plaza in Bedford on Tuesday and caught fire.
In an Instagram post on Friday, Mirman expressed his gratitude, writing: 'I am extraordinarily thankful to the heroic people that pulled me from the car and to the warm, kind and talented staff at the hospital that cared for me and got me on the mend.' He also joked about his reduced screen time, saying: 'I do not recommend my method of decreasing screen-time.'
The crash occurred shortly before noon. New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte and her security detail arrived at the scene soon after, and a state trooper, along with two bystanders, helped extract Mirman through a window. Local news footage showed the vehicle completely engulfed in flames and thick black smoke.
Mirman's agent, Jay Glassner, confirmed on Wednesday that the actor was in hospital and recovering from a 'very scary car accident'. He added: 'He wants to thank the bystanders, state police, first responders and hospital staff who saved him.' State police Colonel Mark Hall praised the rescuers as 'heroic', saying they acted without hesitation.
Mirman, who was born in Moscow and raised in Massachusetts, has voiced Gene Belcher in more than 300 episodes of Bob's Burgers, as well as in the film spin-off. He has also appeared in Flight of the Conchords, Delocated and Archer. His Instagram post included a photo showing bandages on his right arm and hand, alongside a children's book titled Life Is an Adventure.
