Stunt man hospitalized for injuries sustained on ‘America’s Got Talent: Extreme’

“Professional danger man” Jonathan Goodwin was injured Thursday while rehearsing for “America’s Got Talent” spinoff “America’s Got Talent: Extreme,” halting production on the NBC reality show, which is made by Fremantle Media.

“During a rehearsal last evening for ‘America’s Got Talent: Extreme,’ an accident occurred in which escape artist Jonathan Goodwin was injured while performing his act,” an “AGT” spokesperson confirmed in a statement to The Times. “He was responsive and was immediately taken to the hospital where he is continuing to receive medical care. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family as we await further updates on his condition.”

Goodwin was performing a stunt in which he was dressed in a straitjacket and suspended 70 feet in the air by a wire tied to his feet, TMZ reported. On either side of him were two vehicles, also suspended in the air, swinging back and forth. In the stunt, Goodwin was attempting to free himself and fall to an air mattress below before he could be crushed by the vehicles.

The website said the cars for some reason accidentally smashed together, trapping Goodwin between them. That impact caused an explosion and Goodwin fell from the air, hitting his head.

The new series, NBC said in a previous announcement, is a showcase for “the most outrageous, unique and jaw-dropping acts of enormous scale and magnitude that simply cannot be confined to a theater stage. Each week contestants will go head-to-head in the most wild, intense and often times beautiful performances to vie for a $500,000 prize”

Such accidents have come under increased scrutiny in recent years. In 2017, a stuntman was killed while performing a fall on the set of “The Walking Dead.” John Bernecker, 33, was in a scene in which he fell from a 22-foot-high balcony and landed on an area that was unpadded. The coroner ruled the death an accident, and a jury later awarded his family $8.6 million in damages.