3RD UPDATE, 3:11 PM: Alyssa Milano has provided a positive update on her uncle Mitch Carp’s health status.
She says that he is now “doing well,” although he “probably needs open heart surgery,” after suffering a heart attack while driving on August 17.
“I mean, he has a long road of recovery,” she told Entertainment Weekly on Friday. “[But] he’s out of the hospital, he’s home, he has care and they’re trying to build up his strength to get open heart surgery. So that’s kind of where we are now.”
The actress added that her uncle has been able to enjoy time with family, after being discharged from the hospital. “He came to my son’s baseball game the other day,” she shared. “I looked over and there was uncle Mitch sitting in the stands. That was really amazing.”
Milano last provided a status update on August 23, sharing at the time that her uncle was “on life support.” She was seated in the passenger seat when he suffered a major heart attack on a West Los Angeles highway, seeing his loss of consciousness result in a collision, and has called these events “some of the most horrifying moments of my life.”
In retrospect, though, she says she’s been “really good throughout this whole thing,” all things considered. “If you would’ve told me years ago, ‘You’re gonna get into a really bad accident. You’re gonna have to save this person’s life and it’s gonna be really scary.’ I would’ve told you, I don’t know if I could get through that,” she admitted. “But it’s true what they say about having this superhuman strength when it comes, when you need it, and this fight or flight thing that I was definitely in for a few days after too.”
According to report from the California Highway Patrol that we obtained on the 17th, Milano and Carp were going south in the #2 lane of the 405, when her uncle “started to have an unknown medical issue (possible heart attack).”
Milano was able “to bring the Ford to a stop in between the #1 and #2 lane,” “with the assistance of a good Samaritan.” Sources told TMZ, which was first to report news of the accident, that Milano helped get the car under control by reaching over to the driver’s side and using her hand to hit the brakes. TMZ also reported that Milano gave her uncle CPR until first responders were able to get to the scene, as she has confirmed in subsequent posts regarding the accident.
Milano left the scene of the accident uninjured, after being picked up by her husband, Dave Bugliari.
2ND UPDATE, AUGUST 23: Alyssa Milano took to TikTok on Monday to offer another update on her uncle Mitch Carp’s health status, sharing that he is “on life support.”
Carp suffered a major heart attack while driving on a West Los Angeles highway on the morning of August 17. This led him to lose consciousness with his foot on the gas, resulting in a collision. Milano was in the front passenger seat of the car at the time, and called the events “some of the most horrifying moments of my life.”
“Uncle Mitch is still in and out of consciousness,” Milano said in her video message. “The nurses at the UCLA Medical Center and the doctors are taking such incredible care of Uncle Mitch, but he’s got a long road ahead of him.”
She added that her uncle “spiked a fever” of 103 on Sunday night. “So, we think that there is an infection that he is also beating throughout all of this. But he is a fighter,” she said. “Uncle Mitch is a fighter, and the doctors say that every day is a miracle, that he still hangs on.”
Milano then thanked fans for their support, and advised them to get trained in CPR.
According to report from the California Highway Patrol that we obtained, Milano and Carp were going south in the #2 lane of the 405, when her uncle “started to have an unknown medical issue (possible heart attack),” and became unconscious. The SUV he was driving subsequently drifted out of its lane and struck a Black SUV, which fled the scene of the collision.
Milano was able “to bring the Ford to a stop in between the #1 and #2 lane,” “with the assistance of a good Samaritan.” Sources told TMZ, which was first to report news of the accident, that Milano helped get the car under control by reaching over to the driver’s side and using her hand to hit the brakes. TMZ also reported that Milano gave her uncle CPR until first responders were able to get to the scene, as she has confirmed in subsequent posts regarding the accident.
Milano left the scene of the accident uninjured, after being picked up by her husband, Dave Bugliari.
UPDATED, AUGUST 18: Alyssa Milano has come forward with a statement regarding the car accident she was in Tuesday morning with uncle Mitch Carp, confirming that he “suffered a serious heart attack,” which resulted in a collision on a West Los Angeles highway.
The actress reflected on the harrowing experience in a five-part thread published on Twitter. “Yesterday, my family suffered a terrifying and traumatic event…I am grateful to the people who stopped to help us,” she wrote. “I’ll never be able to thank them enough for the care and attention they, along with the first responders, doctors, nurses, and staff at UCLA Medical Center paid to [my uncle] and to me.”
Milano noted that her Uncle Mitch is “such an important part” of her family.
“He’s with us every day, spending time with my children and present in every meaningful part of our lives. He’s still in the hospital, and we are unsure if he will recover,” she shared. “I hope that you—and especially you in the media—will afford him and my family the kindness of privacy as we move through this incredibly painful time.”
Milano closed her message out by sharing what she hopes her followers will take away from her experience. “Please, take this as your inspiration to get CPR certified. You don’t know when you’ll be called upon to save a life,” she wrote. “The American Red Cross and many hospitals and other organizations offer regular classes. It’s such a small effort and can have a huge impact.”
According to report from the California Highway Patrol that we obtained, the actress was sitting in the right front passenger seat of a Ford Edge, going south in the #2 lane of the 405, when her uncle “started to have an unknown medical issue (possible heart attack),” and became unconscious. The SUV he was driving subsequently drifted out of its lane and struck a Black SUV, which fled the scene of the collision. Milano reportedly discovered that her uncle was unconscious when she “felt an impact to the right side” of her vehicle. She then was able “to bring the Ford to a stop in between the #1 and #2 lane,” “with the assistance of a good Samaritan.”
Sources told TMZ, which was first to report news of the accident, that Milano helped get the car under control by reaching over to the driver’s side and using her hand to hit the brakes. TMZ also reported that Milano gave her uncle CPR until first responders were able to get to the scene, as she has confirmed in her posts regarding the accident.
When LAPD units arrived, they continued CPR. The Los Angeles City Fire Department took over when they arrived on scene, then transporting Carp to UCLA Westwood Hospital.
Milano left the scene of yesterday’s accident uninjured, after being picked picked up by her husband, Dave Bugliari.
Yesterday, my family suffered a terrifying and traumatic event. I was a passenger in a car my Uncle Mitch was driving when he suffered a serious heart attack, resulting in a car crash. I am grateful to the people who stopped to help us. (1/5)
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) August 18, 2021
PREVIOUSLY, AUGUST 17: Alyssa Milano was involved in a car accident on Tuesday morning after her uncle, Mitch Carp, suffered a possible heart attack while driving on a West Los Angeles highway, Deadline can confirm.
According to report from the California Highway Patrol that we obtained, the actress left the scene uninjured after being picked up by her husband, Dave Bugliari.
She was sitting in the right front passenger seat of a Ford Edge, going south in the #2 lane of the 405, when her uncle “started to have an unknown medical issue (possible heart attack),” and became unconscious.
The SUV he was driving subsequently drifted out of its lane and struck a Black SUV, which fled the scene of the collision. Milano reportedly discovered that her uncle was unconscious when she “felt an impact to the right side” of her vehicle. The report says that she then was able “to bring the Ford to a stop in between the #1 and #2 lane,” “with the assistance of a good Samaritan.”
Sources told TMZ, which was first to report news of the accident, that Milano helped get the car under control by reaching over to the driver’s side and using her hand to hit the brakes. TMZ also reported that Milano gave her uncle CPR until first responders were able to get to the scene.
When LAPD units arrived, they continued CPR. The Los Angeles City Fire Department took over when they arrived on scene, then transporting Carp to UCLA Westwood Hospital.
Later in the day, Milano took to Twitter to address Tuesday’s events, albeit vaguely. “We should all take every opportunity we have to protect the people we love. Get vaccinated. Wear masks. Lock up your guns. Learn CPR. Small, common-sense actions,” she wrote. “It’s not hard to take care of each other, but it is important.”
We should all take every opportunity we have to protect the people we love. Get vaccinated. Wear masks. Lock up your guns. Learn CPR. Small, common-sense actions.
It’s not hard to take care of each other, but it is important.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) August 18, 2021