MEMPHIS, August 4, 2008 (AFP) - Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman was being treated in hospital after being involved in a serious car crash, local media reported on Monday.

The 71-year-old star, who won an Academy Award for his role in 2004's 'Million Dollar Baby', was hospitalized after the crash late Sunday near Ruleville, Mississippi, reports said.

Details of Freeman's condition and injuries were unclear, with some reports listing it as 'serious' or 'critical' while others cited friends of the actor as saying he was sitting up in bed and talking.

Freeman, who is currently starring in Batman blockbuster 'The Dark Knight,' was hospitalized after the car he was driving went off the road and flipped several times, reports said citing the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

Freeman and his passenger were airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis. Mississippi state police said he was talking before being transported to the hospital. The condition of his female passenger was unclear.