'Sopranos' Joe Pantoliano Rushed to Hospital After Car Accident

Joe Pantoliano is in a Connecticut hospital after he was struck by a car while out for a walk ... TMZ has learned.

Joe's wife, Nancy, tells TMZ ... the 'Sopranos' star was walking with family Friday in their neighborhood when a Porsche skidded across the road and hit him. She says the Porsche had been t-boned by another car.

Nancy says Joe was sent flying a couple feet backward into an old wooden fence. He suffered a gash on his head, plus injuries to his left leg and a shoulder.

EMTs quickly arrived and rushed Joe to a hospital where he's being treated and waiting on the results of a CT scan.

The good news ... Joe's wife thinks he's going to pull through. We're also told both drivers in the crash stayed at the scene, and police are investigating.

Joe posted a video of a rainbow in his neighborhood Friday, and family members say that was shot shortly before his walk.

Again, sounds like Joe got super lucky ... so the rainbow is pretty appropriate.

Joe played Ralph Cifaretto on 'Sopranos' from 2001 to '04. He also played Captain Howard in the 'Bad Boys' flicks ... and costarred in huge movies like "The Matrix," "Memento," and "Risky Business."

More importantly, he's just a really good guy. Here's to a speedy recovery.