Comedian Ryan Hamilton Hit by Bus, Seriously Injured

Comedian Ryan Hamilton was forced to postpone his January and February shows after he survived a traffic accident. The 46-year-old star, known for his clean-cut brand of comedy, was seriously injured in the accident and cannot perform until his doctors clear him. Hamilton is heading back to his native Idaho to recuperate with his family.

Back on Jan. 25, Hamilton told his fans he was struck by a bus while walking across a street. He suffered a compound fractured arm, seven broken ribs, and a punctured, collapsed lung. He needed surgery from his broken arm and his doctors said he could not even fly until he gets clearance from them. His mother drove to meet him and took him back to Idaho to recover with family by his side. “I’m so grateful to her and many friends for all their help,” Hamilton wrote.

Hamilton also thanked his fans for being patient with him, especially those in Salt Lake City, where he was scheduled to perform this weekend. “I know you may have had tickets for close to two years and made plans that are difficult to change,” Hamilton wrote. “Please know this is a huge blow to me, and I am very sorry for the effects it will have on all of you. I am working hard and looking forward to being back as soon as I can give you the show you deserve.”

The three Salt Lake City shows were rescheduled for June 24-25, and refunds will be available until Feb. 25 at the Kingsbury Hall cox office. Hamilton still has shows in Addison, Texas scheduled for March 3-5, and Sarasota, Florida for April 22-24. He is set to perform at Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival at the Regent Theatre in Los Angeles on May 4.

Hamilton was born in Ashton, Idaho and began his comedy career in Salt Lake City and Seattle before he moved to New York City. He has performed on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, The Late Late Show, Inside Amy Schumer, and Conan, and was a contestant on Last Comic Standing in 2007 and 2010. In 2017, Netflix released his first special, Happy Face. He also opened for Jerry Seinfeld in 2019.

Hamilton has embraced being considered a “clean” comedian in comparison to many of his colleagues. “Yeah, I guess at a certain point it becomes intentional,” he told St. Louis Magazine in 2019. “It’s always the way I’ve performed. It’s authentic to who I am, so it comes out that way. The comedy from the beginning that I loved and admired and that I looked at as career models were always kind of clean comedians, too.”