Why K.J. Apa Says His Scary Car Crash Was A “Blessing In Disguise"

K.J. Apa has a positive outlook about his car accident in September.

The Riverdale actor told Esquire that his car crash, which happened on his way home from a day on the show's set, was a "blessing in disguise."

"That was just a one-off accident, and it was a mistake on my part," Apa told the magazine. "I should have pulled over and gone to sleep instead of battling my way home. But I learned from it. It was a blessing in disguise. I came out unscathed, and I thank God that I'm okay — it could have been a lot worse."

The car crash happened after a long day on set. Warner Bros. Television said in a statement that Apa worked 14.2 hours that day. The actor then wrecked his car during the 45-minute commute back to where he was staying in Vancouver, Canada.

Apa also told Esquire that after the accident, his filming schedule wasn't affected. The crash sparked a conversation about the show's filming conditions, and the industry's filming conditions more generally, but it sounds like Riverdale's filming was still business as usual.

"The schedule didn't change," Apa told Esquire. "It's still a requirement for the actors to drive to work, which is fair enough. The crew works longer than we do, and they have to drive back and forth to work every day."

It sounds like the crash was a learning experience for the actor, though.

"It puts things in perspective for actors on other shows; when you're driving home, you've got to be mindful and make sure your mind's right and that you're not tired," Apa told the magazine. "I was really lucky the production was there for me and helped me the whole way, which made me feel looked after."