Aussie actor, Jon Blake dies at 52 after long years in bed

He was once hailed Australia’s “next Mel Gibson” while at the peak of his career in the late 1980s. But an unfortunate road accident had left Jon Blake permanently incapacitated as he was described in ‘near-vegetative state” until his death Sunday. He was 52.

Reports said that the actor has been confirmed dead due to of pneumonia on Sunday. His death ends his long-years of battle from the incident that had confined him to bed for almost two and a half decades.

Jon Blake was on his way home on the last day of filming The Lighthorseman near Port Augusta when he crashed into another car parked on the side of the road after swerving to avoid an oncoming car.

The Herald Sun said in a report that though the Australian actor, with the promising career before the incident, did not incur serious physical injuries from the road mishap.

But the incident had left the New Zealand-born Australian actor to be permanently brain-damaged and under the care of nurses, medical volunteers and family members. His mother, Mascot Blake, was Jon Blake’s permanent full-time and primary caregiver for years until her death in 2007. Jon was then left under the care of his son Dustin.

After years and complicated legal battles, Jon Blake was finally awarded recently of record breaking $7.7 million in compensation for the actor’s medical care and estimated lost earnings. The award was based on the perception that Blake could have been successful as an actor had he not been involved in the unfortunate vehicular accident.

Jon Blake, or Paul Jon Blake in real life was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia with his parents at the age of 13. His online biography said that Jon Blake was first trained as a professional boxer before finding his spot in Australian television. Blake appeared in a number of TV series including soap opera The Restless Years and Anzacs. He also appeared on A Country Practice and the Slim Dusty Movie. Blake was named one of the Cleo's most eligible bachelors of 1986.

The funeral for the late actor will be held later this week. Read his full professional career here and more personal background and information here.

See Jon Blake in action, watch VIDEO here.