A witness at the scene of King's accident talks to sheriff's deputies

June 20, 1999
Web posted at: 10:57 a.m. EDT (1457 GMT)

In this story: Driver will not be charged Master of horror fiction RELATED STORIES, SITES

LEWISTON, Maine (CNN) -- Hospital officials say author Stephen King is in good spirits after several hours of surgery early Sunday for injuries suffered when he was hit by a car while walking near his Maine home.

King was in serious but stable condition after suffering a collapsed lung, multiple fractures of his right leg and hip and a scalp laceration in the accident.

Surrounded by family after the surgery, King was alert and joking with hospital staff. He even asked about his favorite baseball team.

"His mental state is very good," Central Maine Hospital spokesman Chuck Gill said. "In fact, this morning he asked his wife Tabitha to read him the report of the Red Sox game."

But Gill said King faces additional surgery, and he is likely to be hospitalized for several more days.

Driver will not be charged

The accident occurred Saturday afternoon, as King was walking south on the shoulder of a road in North Lovell. He was hit from behind when motorist Brian Smith, 41, apparently lost control of his Dodge Caravan because his dog distracted him, Oxford County Sheriff's deputy Matt Baker said.

Witnesses told police Smith did not appear to be speeding, Baker said. He said charges will not be filed against the driver.

Baker, who was at the scene of the accident, said King was lying in a depression about 14 feet off the road and appeared to have been thrown by the collision. The van's windshield was broken and the right front corner of the car was crunched in from the impact, he said.

"He was hurting, but he was able to communicate," Baker said. "He was talking to me. He gave me phone numbers of where to call his family." But he said the writer was in "a lot of pain."

Baker said he could tell King's leg was broken and he was bleeding from a laceration on his head. King was taken to Northern Cumberland Hospital, then flown by helicopter to Central Maine Hospital.

Gill said the hospital received "many phone calls" from fans of the author overnight and into Sunday.

King was in surgery for several hours Sunday

Master of horror fiction

King's prolific work -- horror novels, short stories and novellas -- has earned him the title "Master of Horror." A number of his novels have been turned into major films, including "Carrie," "The Shining," "Misery" and "Dolores Claiborne."

Three novellas from the book "Different Seasons" were also major films -- "Apt Pupil," "The Body" -- titled "Stand by Me" on the screen -- and "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," filmed as "The Shawshank Redemption."

King's books have been translated into 33 languages and published in more than 35 countries. There are more than 300 million copies of his novels in publication.

King has also written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.