Comedian Kenny DeForest died in hospital on Wednesday, after sustaining injuries from a crash last week.
The 37-year-old was on an e-bike at the time of the crash, and his family speculated whether there was a vehicle also involved in the accident.
However, according to the emergency medical records, there was no indication of any other vehicle being involved.
A friend of Kenny’s, Ryan Beck, told Deadline: “We’ve learned more information today from an EMS report. Kenny was on an e-bike and crashed.
“I spoke with crossing guards at the area today, and am still in search of more information. There is no police report because it was not a hit and run as first understood.”
“He was a tremendous person and comedian. All of us in the New York comedy scene are truly devastated.”
A GoFundMe page was set up by friends of the comedian to assist in paying for the medical costs incurred by the accident.
According to the page, Kenny’s family have an “extensive hospital bill” to pay as he was in hospital for a week and he “underwent neurological surgery to remove a piece of his skull and relieve pressure from a brain bleed.”
The page has already surpassed more than the initial target of $150,000, and currently sits at $178,316.
Over 2.1k people donated to the page, with many offering their deepest sympathies to the family and sharing their love for the comedian on the Words of Support section.
One donator wrote: “Thank you for the gift of a well crafted story and a laugh. It’s priceless. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.”
Another commented: “I met Kenny back in Chicago when I used to cut his hair(!). He was truly a terrific person to be around, and it doesn’t surprise me at all that he was beloved by so so many people. You’ll be missed king.”
Seth Myers took to X to share his love for the comedian and said: “Kenny DeForest was a universally beloved comedian who died tragically, and much too young. His relaxed, confident delivery always stood out.”
He added: “As you can see from his debut late night set on LNSM, he wasn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics, but never just to be edgy- always in service of an original angle and a great joke. It’s a shame we won’t get to see what he comes up with next.”
Kenny DeForest was a universally beloved comedian who died tragically, and much too young. His relaxed, confident delivery always stood out. As you can see from his debut late night set on LNSM, he wasn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics, but never just to be edgy- always in…
— Late Night with Seth Meyers (@LateNightSeth) December 14, 2023
