Don’t Try This at Home

BEIJING, Dec. 18 — A Hollywood stuntman who worked on one of the "Men in Black" films suffered serious injuries in Shanghai on Saturday when he fell off a moving car while trying to jump through a ring of fire.

Oldrich Svarousky, 48, a member of the Hollywood-based Filmka stunt group, was being treated last night at Shanghai No. 10 People’s Hospital for a concussion and a fractured rib. Though he was in the intensive care unit, doctors said his condition was no longer life threatening.

The mishap took place during a program featuring Hollywood-style stunt performances at Zhabei Stadium. The show consisted of 36 leaps, crashes, races and other death-defying feats.

Svarousky, who also had a role in Martin Scorsese’s "Taxi Driver" and several other films, was performing a stunt in which he stood on the top of a car and jumped through flaming hoops suspended just above roof-top level. His head bumped the second hoop and he missed the third, falling off the back of the car.

"We feel very sorry about what happened, but it’s a dangerous game," said Lu Pin, who works for the performance sponsors.

story and pictures from Xinhua News Agency