Reports of the death of actor Wayne Knight, who played Jerry Seinfeld's neighbour Newman in the long-running sitcom, appear to be incorrect. Stories have spread online to say that the 58-year-old had been killed in a accident involving a tractor. Newman was reportedly travelling in a car that hit a disabled semi-tractor-trailer late Saturday night near the border between Pennsylvania and New York. 

On hearing the news Knight himself tweeted to confirm that he was alive and kicking and added: "Does someone have to DIE to trend? Geez! Thanks for all the love everybody. I didn’t know you cared. Glad to be breathing!" He is the latest celebrity whose death has been prematurely reported. There have also been inaccurate accounts of Rowan Atkinson's death and long before the internet Mark Twain was able to read his own obituary in a newspaper.

Knight was a familiar figure on Seinfeld, playing the interfering postal worker who lived downstairs in the same apartment block as the comedian. The character got on with Jerry's neighbour Kramer but not Seinfeld. His character was never quite one of the core gang but was still an essential part of the show. Just the mere mention of his name by Seinfeld preceded by a sneerily delivered "hello" would prompt a laugh. When the story broke Twitter was swamped with "Goodbye Newman" tweets.

Knight has also appeared in numerous major movies, including Jurassic Park and JFK. He was one of the sweaty police interrogators in Basic Instinct's famous interview scene with Sharon Stone and was also Officer Don Orville in 3rd Rock From The Sun. He also appeared in the seventh series of Curb Your Enthusiasm when the plot-line revolved around a Seinfeld reunion and earlier this year appeared with Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander when the pair reunited for their Superbowl commercial.