Jeopardy! contestant Grant DeYoung revealed he was hit by a car as he found out that he had secured a spot on the game show

Jeopardy! contestant Grant DeYoung revealed he was hit by a car on learning he had made it onto the hit ABC show – but he was so excited he didn’t even notice.

The grocery clerk, who hails from Prescott, Arizona, told host Ken Jennings that he was involved in a road traffic accident at the exact moment he received a text message confirming the news.

‘I got off work and got in the car and pulled my phone out and it was sinking in,’ he recalled on Wednesday night’s show. ‘I’m on the verge of tears there staring down at it, and I got hit and ran…’

A stunned Ken asked: ‘A car hit you while you were getting the text?’

Host Ken Jennings was stunned by the hit and run and made sure to ask Grant if he was ok

‘Yes,’ Grant replied, adding: ‘And I didn’t even notice because I was so, you know, engrossed in getting the text.’

‘I had people coming up to me after [saying]: “Are you aware you just got your car hit?” and I was like “no” holding my phone and staring at the message.’

Ken then asked whether he was doing okay.

‘The car needs some work but I’m certainly fine, thank you,’ Grant said.

The contestant was hailed Jeopardy! Champion by the end of the episode, with the quizzer raking up an impressive cash pot of $25,601.

Earlier this week it was announced that a Jeopardy! spinoff is coming to Amazon Prime and it will give the web-obsessed a chance to test their knowledge.

Pop Culture Jeopardy marks the first time that the brainy series, which was created by Sony Pictures Television’s game show division, will hit a streaming service.

It will mimic the set up of the original game show – but the question segment will focus on music, films, TV shows, sports, and more.

Grant didn’t even notice he had been involved in an accident at first because he was ‘so engrossed in getting the text’

By the end of the episode, Grant was hailed Jeopardy! champion

Contestants will play in teams of three and compete for the ultimate prize.

A premiere date for the series, which will be released in more than 240 countries, is yet to be announced.

Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD originals unscripted and targeted programming at Amazon MGM Studios, confirmed the twist in an interview with Variety.

‘Pop Culture Jeopardy is its own cultural moment, marking the first time the iconic franchise will premiere exclusively on a streaming service,’ she said.

‘With a team-based approach and pop-culture focus, our global Prime Video customers will exclusively experience this innovative spin on Jeopardy! while testing their knowledge on topics that both define and transcend generations.’

Suzanne Prete, president of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, said: ‘We couldn’t be more thrilled to collaborate with our partners at Amazon to make Prime Video the home for our new Jeopardy! spinoff series.

‘With Michael Davies at the helm, Pop Culture Jeopardy! is going to be a nail biter for game show enthusiasts who can expect to see teams competing at the highest level of Jeopardy! combined with a fresh twist of pop culture Olympics for the mind.

‘It’s going to be a must-watch for long-time viewers and new fans alike.’