PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD: FIRST APPEARANCE BY KEVIN HART SINCE CAR CRASH

Kevin Hart showed up at the 2019 People’s Choice Awards on Sunday following his life-threatening car accident in September.
The 40-year-old humorist was available to acknowledge the trophy for best comedy act of 2019. He got overwhelming applause from the crowd after moderator Robert Downey Jr. declared him as the champ.

“First and foremost, thank God because I definitely don’t have to be here,” the comedian began his acceptance speech “Being that I am, it makes me appreciate life even more. It makes me appreciate the things that really matter. Family.”

He continued: “I want to thank my wife and kids, who really stepped up to the plate for me.”

“You have no idea the effect you have on us as entertainers; your energy, your support. It means the world and I truly want to thank you guys for being there for me in my difficult time.”

Hart concluded his acceptance speech by thanking the slew of fans who showed their support for him shortly after the near-fatal crash on Sept. 1.
The comedian was riding in the passenger seat of his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda with two other people in the early hours of Sept. 1 when the driver lost control of the vehicle and went careening down an embankment before slamming into a tree. Police report that the driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time.

Hart reportedly fractured his spine in three places, which put him in the hospital for several days and forced him to undergo difficult rehabilitation. The comedian documented some of that rehab in an emotional video posted to Instagram on Oct. 29.

“When God talks, you got to listen,” Hart says over the footage, which shows him taking steps with a walker as health aides assist him.

“In this case, I honestly feel like God told me to sit down. You know, you’re moving too fast, you’re doing too much. Sometimes, you can’t see the things you’re meant to see.”