‘Jerry Springer’ Regular Steve Wilkos Hospitalized After Car Crash

Steve Wilkos is in the hospital after a brutal car crash in Darien, Connecticut on Sunday afternoon.

Wilkos’ car flipped over on West Avenue in Darien, striking several telephone poles and one tree, according to The Darien Times. Wilkos was transported to the hospital with injuries, but the talk show bodyguard is expected to make a full recovery.

Wilkos spoke to reporters from TMZ from the hospital, explaining that he usually wears glasses while driving. He didn’t have them on on Sunday afternoon, making him a little uncertain behind the wheel. He claims he was reaching for his glasses when he hit the curb, then a telephone pole, setting off the whole chain reaction of frightening impacts.

He’s bruised and shocked, but he assured reporters he’ll be okay. He also made it clear that he never drinks or uses drugs, so impairment of that kind played no role in this accident.

Wilkos rose to daytime television fame as a bodyguard on The Jerry Springer Show, but branched off into his own program, The Steve Wilkos Show, in 2007. He informed the press that, in a cruel twist of fate, an audio engineer on his show and his wife were in a car crash in the same area on the same day. Both passed away as a result of the tragic accident.

Wilkos’ show is similar to The Jerry Springer Show in many ways, though Wilkos himself has a very different on-screen persona. As a former Chicago police officer, Wilkos provides guests with his signature brand of tough love. He makes liberal use of a lie detector on air, helping guests determine paternity, whether their partner is cheating, or even whether someone is abusive in their relationship.

The Steve Wilkos Show is expected to resume production within a matter of days. However, Wilkos’ crash remains an open investigation with the Darien Police Department.