'Who's The Boss?' actor Danny Pintauro hospitalized after accident on Thanksgiving: 'I could have died'

(WJW) – Danny Pintauro, an actor known for his roles in "Who's the Boss?" and "Cujo," has been hospitalized after suffering a scooter accident on Thanksgiving, he revealed on social media.

Pintauro, 48, shared the news Sunday, while recovering from surgery at Memorial Care Miller Hospital in Southern California.

“On Thanksgiving night I got into a scooter accident," Pintauro wrote in an Instagram post which included photos of himself in his hospital bed. "The bike lane I was riding in was suddenly blocked with cones and I was forced to choose between a van and a pylon. The pylons hurt!!"

Pintauro said he initially believed he broke his arm, but felt "a whole lot better" by Friday morning. On Saturday, however, he "started having these weird chest pains," he said.

"It felt like my hiatal hernia was acting up," Pintauro said. "Before long, the pain was so significant all across my chest and my stomach muscles and my shoulder muscles that I could barely breathe. It was the worst moment of my life.”

Pintauro's husband Wil Tabares drove him to the hospital where he underwent a CAT scan, X-ray and blood tests.

“They discovered that I had an infection in my bloodstream due to a tear in my stomach lining. Air and stomach acid, etc., were escaping into my abdomen,” Pintauro said. “It’s been the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt in my whole life."

The actor underwent surgery Saturday night, according to the post, which alleviated the pain. He added that his stomach acids are currently being removed via a tube so as not to "upset" his stitches.

"Which also means that I won’t be eating or drinking anything for the next three days," Pintauro said.

Pintauro went on to praise the doctors and nurses at Memorial Care Miller Hospital. 

"They always say this but it’s very true, if I had waited any longer, I could have died," Pintauro said. "My body was the one who told me something was absolutely wrong."

“It was absolutely terrifying," Pintauro later added. He also asked his followers to keep him in their prayers.

Pintauro, as a child actor, had appeared in shows such as "As the World Turns" and "Highway to Heaven" before rising to fame on "Who's the Boss?" He starred alongside Tony Danza, Judith Light, Alyssa Milano and Katherine Helmond on the series, which ran from 1984 to 1992. His most recent credit on IMDb is 2022's "A Country Christmas Harmony."