After a smooth and fairly quick recovery as the result of a fire in his garage, Jay Leno’s return to comedy wasn’t quite as seamless. A new video shows the car-loving celebrity brush up against a police Jeep twice before parking his Tesla. Thankfully it seems as though there was little to no damage, and that includes to Leno’s sharp wit.
The incident took place at Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach just two weeks after Leno was burned in a car fire. While working on his 1907 White Steam Car, Leno was burned as a result of a spark that set nearby gasoline on fire. He spent multiple days in the hospital while he recovered.
In the video below from Lions Share News on YouTube, we see Leno approaching the comedy club and simply cutting in toward the curb ever so slightly early. As a result, the rear passenger tire of Leno’s Tesla Model S comes into contact with a parked Police Jeep. It seems Leno noticed right away as he stopped and reversed but ultimately just rubbed up against the SUV again.
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From what we can see in the video, it seems as though the contact might have been tire on tire. The police in the video certainly don’t seem dismayed by the incident as they allow Leno to head into the venue without much more than a quick cordial conversation initiated by Leno.
Perhaps more newsworthy is the fact that Leno seems to be in great spirits despite his recent challenges. When asked if his comedy set for the evening would mention the garage fire he responded “we’ve got two shows here tonight, a regular and extra crispy.” Moments later he cracked off another remark about how he never thought of himself as “a roast comic.”
In light of the fire and his recovery efforts, he was also asked who his biggest inspiration through the ordeal was. His humble and nuanced answer is characteristic of why he has such a devoted fanbase. With a smile on his face as if to indicate what a silly idea that question was to him he said “I got burned, I was in the hospital for a few days, and now I’m back out working again. People do this every day.”