Zac Efron’s friend Caleb Davidge has miraculously lived after being hit by a car, which smashed into him at 60 mph hour, dragging him across the street. Not only did he survive the astonishing accident, there’s video evidence of the moment of impact. News of the terrifying incident broke on Jan. 22, a day after Zac, 31, penned an emotional tribute to his friend on Instagram. Next to a photo of him with his pal, the actor wrote, “14 weeks ago my friend @calebdavidge was hit by a car. It was gnarly. I’m incredibly thankful he’s alive and so impressed by his positivity throughout this process. You inspire me brother. Can’t wait to surf again with you soon.”
But Zac’s sweet tribute didn’t fully convey the intensity of the incident, which Caleb himself shared on Instagram by posting a clip on his own page, two days earlier. The footage – captured by a restaurant’s security camera – is so hard to watch that Instagram blurred the preview and issued a warning that “some people may find” the video “offensive or disturbing.”
In the clip Caleb tries to get into his Uber from the rear passenger door when a car smashes into him, rips the door off its hinges and drags him several yards along the road. The smash took place on trendy Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice and several eyewitnesses can be seen racing down the street to rush to his aid. Somehow Caleb survived but not without breaking every rib in his body. His injuries are intense. He captioned the video by writing, “It’s been 14 weeks today since I was hit at 60mph while getting into my Uber, and not a minute has passed where I haven’t thought about how fortunate I am. Every day has been a challenge for me physically but my mind and spirit have grown in ways I never imagined. Man… all the s*** I took for granted! Looking back at all the little things I was stressing about just makes me laugh now.”
Caleb added, “I broke all of my ribs on both sides. My right ribs shattered and punctured my lungs, which both collapsed and were bleeding out. My right arm was poking out of my sweatshirt. My left femur went thru my knee joint and fractured my tibia, and tore my left MCL. An ice cream scoop sized chunk came out of my left leg. My right knee has a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus. I lacerated my liver and my spleen, and broke four bones in my spine.”
Caleb then went on to thank his friends, family and the doctors at UCLA, where he has been recuperating. He added, “I cannot wait to walk again, hopefully even surf again, one day soon. If you’re still reading this tell someone you care about how much they mean to you, you might not get the chance tomorrow!”