Celebrity Car Accidents

Celebrities are as vulnerable to car accidents as the rest of us.

On this page I'll report on celebrity car accidents, in the hope that we can learn from their experiences.

Nicole Richie Rear-Ended

On October 5, 2009, 28 year old [insert your description of what it is that she does, I'm stumped] Nicole Richie was driving a Land Rover in Beverly Hills when she was rear-ended by a paparazzo who was following her.

The "freelance photographer," 29 year old Edwardo Arrivebene, was arrested when he could not produce a valid license for the police. Richie went to Cedars Sinai Hospital for examination and treatment.

If she was feeling any symptoms of an injury, Richie did the right thing going to the hospital.

If you are ever in an accident, be sure to do these 8 things at the scene of the crash, and then do these 8 things after your accident.

Olympian Michael Phelps in Intersection Collision In Baltimore

On Thursday, August 13, 2009, at about 8:45 p.m., Michael Phelps crashed his Cadillac Escalade into the driver's side of a Honda Accord that had run a red light in Baltimore.

The Honda driver caused this accident by running the red light.

However, Phelps will also be ticketed because he was driving with an invalid, out-of-state license. It seems he never changed from a Michigan license to a Maryland license when he returned to his home state after the Olympics last year . . . and he had not properly renewed the Michigan license. Basically, he was driving without a license.

Here's some free advice: Hire an assistant to help with these details, dude.

Phelps complained at the scene of ankle pain, but he declined treatment. The driver of the Honda was taken to the hospital complaining of neck and back pain.

Phelps' Escalade had a crumpled front hood after the collision, while the Honda had considerable damage to the front driver's side. Two parked cars also sustained minor damage.

Check out this article to learn who has to pay for the damage to the cars.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash. Phelps told police that he drank a beer about an hour and 15 minutes before this crash, but no field sobriety tests were given because he showed no signs of impairment. The same was true of the Honda driver.

According to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi "We had our very best eyes on the situation, and we're very well aware of his history and his notoriety. We wanted to make sure that everything was done completely by the book."

Car-Bus Crash Involving MercyMe Kills Two

Two people died on August 8, 2009, in northeastern Indiana, when a car collided with the tour bus of the Dallas based Christian pop band, MercyMe. A third person, the pregnant driver of the car, is in critical condition.

The group had finished a concert in Fort Wayne, Indiana and was headed to a concert at Six Flags, near St. Louis.

According to Fort Wayne police officer Liza Thomas, witnesses told the police that the bus was going through a green light about 1:15 a.m. Saturday when the car made a left turn in front of it.

Two passengers in the car were pronounced dead at a local hospital and the 18-year old female driver, who is pregnant, is in critical condition as this is written.

The band members were on the bus, but were not hurt.

Unfortunately, it appears that the driver of the car simply did not see the bus, something that happens far more than you would expect, this time with tragic consequences.

Actor LaVar Burton in 5-Car Accident

Actor LeVar Burton was involved in a five-car accident on July 13, but he wasn't seriously injured.

Detective Judy Acosta of the LAPD says Burton's 2006 Mercedes was on Beverly Boulevard in West Los Angeles at about 7:40 p.m. when a 74-year-old woman in a 2006 Scion turned left in front of him.

Acosta says the cars collided. Burton's car then hit a parked car, leading to a chain reaction that damaged two other parked cars.

According to Acosta, both drivers complained of pain, then were examined at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and released. Nobody was ticketed.

Burton, 52, first gained nationwide fame when he starred in the groundbreaking miniseries "Roots."He also starred in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and was the longtime host of "Reading Rainbow."

Although the left turning driver was not given a ticket, it is clear to me that her unsafe left turn was the cause of this accident.

Is Burton's claim to have his car repaired weakened because the other driver was not given a ticket? Actually, no. Who received a ticket and who is the cause of an accident are separate legal issues and one does not control the other. However, even though that's the law, as a practical matter it always helps in dealing with an insurance company if their insured driver got a ticket.

World's Fastest Man Usain Bolt Walks Away From Car Crash

Olympic Champion, and reigning World's Fastest Man, Usain Bolt, was in a car crash Wednesday, April 29, 2008, near Kingston, Jamaica.

Apparently running isn't all that Bolt does fast.

According to local authorities, he was speeding on a rain-slicked highway when he lost control of his BMW M3 and ran off the road. The car was heavily damaged.

Apparently, Bolt's only injuries were cuts on his feet from thorn bushes which he got when he stepped out of the damaged car at the side of the road..

You can see a video of the damage to the car and of Bolt leaving the hospital here.

The 22-year-old sprinter won the 100 and 200 meters at the Beijing Olympics and was part of the Jamaica team that won the 4x100 relay. All three gold medals were earned in world-record times.

Bolt was given the BMW by his sponsor Puma as a reward for his outstanding performance in the Olympics.

Los Angeles Angels Pitcher Nick Adenhart Killed by Hit and Run Driver

Los Angeles Angels promising rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, 22, was one of three victims killed in a vehicle crash early Thursday, March 9, 2009, in Fullerton, California.

Fullerton police said a minivan ran a red light, hitting a silver Mitsubishi carrying four people, two of whom were declared dead at the scene. Adenhart died at a hospital several hours later. The fourth person was listed in critical condition at a hospital, Fullerton Police Lt. Craig Bower told the Orange County Register.

The Los Angeles Times said the minivan was driven from the scene of the accident but the driver was later taken into custody. The driver of the van was Andrew Gallo, 22, of Riverside, California. Gallo was booked for vehicular manslaughter, felony hit and run and felony driving under the influence. ESPN is also reporting that Gallo was driving with a suspended license and has a prior conviction for drunk driving.

Adenhart, the Angels' 14th-round pick out of Williamsport (Maryland) High School in 2004, had developed into one the team's top prospects and had earned a job in the starting rotation with a strong spring training performance.

The crash took place just hours after Adenhart pitched in a loss against the Oakland Athletics. He got a no-decision after six scoreless innings, giving up seven hits, striking out five and walking three in just his fourth major league start.

He is survived by his father, Jim, and his mother, Janet.

Boxing Champion Giovanni Parisi Killed Instantly in Head-On Collision in Italy

Boxer Giovanni Parisi, 41, a former Olympic and World Champion, was killed in a car accident in northern Italy on March 25, 2009.

Parisi died when his BMW collided head-on with a van on a highway outside the town of Voghera, where he lived.

The cause of this horrible accident is under investigation.

Parisi won the featherweight gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. He was the WBO lightweight champion from 1992-94, when he stepped up to junior welterweight. Parisi lost a decision to Julio Cesar Chavez for the WBC crown in 1995, but won the WBO version in 1996 and held it for two years.

Parisi's pro career lasted from 1989 to 2006, and he finished with a pro record of 41-5-1 with 29 KOs.

Lindsay Lohan in Another Car Accident

Actress Lindsay Lohan's 2 week old white Maserati was involved in a fender bender in Glendale California on Monday night, March 23, 2009.

The good news is that no one was hurt and that Lohan was not driving. Her unnamed assistant was at the wheel and Lohan was in the passenger seat when the Maserati rear-ended a Subaru.

The left front of the Maserati was damaged.

Police were not called to the scene and no charges were placed against the driver.

I have no idea what it costs to insure a Maserati, but especially with her driving record, Lohan should definitely read my 17 tips for saving on car insurance.

Lohan is currently serving a three-year probation as a result of a 2007 DUI conviction.

Oh. Although I have read a number of reports of this accident, I have yet to see any reference to the damage done to the Subaru or whether anyone in that car was hurt.

Former NFL Quarterback Jeff Komlo Killed in Car Accident in Greece

William "Jeff" Komlo, 52, who played for 3 NFL teams between 1979 and 1983, was killed in a car wreck in Greece on March 20, 2009.

Komlo, from the University of Delaware, played for the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his NFL career. He even started some games, as a rookie, for the Lions.

However, his life had tumbled out of control in recent years, reportedly because of an alcohol problem.

In 2005, he failed to appear for sentencing on 2 DWI charges in Pennsylvania, and he had been a fugitive since. He was also alleged to have assaulted a girlfriend, and he was under investigation for setting fires at his homes in Pennsylvania and Florida.

In 2005, Komlo was profiled on "America's Most Wanted."

Pennsylvania authorities were skeptical of the reports of Komlo's death; however, according to the Associated Press, his identity was confirmed by fingerprints.

Grey's Anatomy Star T.R. Knight In a Hollywood Boulevard Car Crash

If you don't know, Theodore Raymond "T.R." Knight is an Emmy Award-nominated and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American actor who, since 2005, has starred as Dr. George O'Malley on ABC's top-rated medical drama Grey's Anatomy.

There have been conflicting reports, but, essentially, Knight's car and another car collided on Hollywood Boulevard on Thursday, March 19, 2009, at about 2:25 p.m.. According to some reports, a third car was involved.

Knight was not injured, however a woman in one of the other cars was taken to the hospital where she was reported to be in stable condition.

No citations were issued. The accident is under investigation.

Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Donte Stallworth's Bentley
Strikes and Kills A Pedestrian

At 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2009, 59 year old Mario Reyes was getting off work as an all-night crane operator in Miami Beach. He was crossing the street to catch a bus home to his wife of 20 years and his 15 year old daughter. He didn't make it.

As he crossed the street, Reyes was struck and killed by a Bentley which was being driven by Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth, 28.

Police have not yet released details such as whether Reyes was in a crosswalk when he has struck.

A blood sample was taken from Stallworth. Miami Beach Police have not yet released the results of the blood work, but there are unofficial reports from the Miami Herald and several local television stations that Stallworth's blood alcohol level was .12, well above the Florida standard for intoxication, which is .08.

If this report is accurate, Stallworth could be charged with DUI manslaughter, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.

At the scene, police officers had Stallworth track a light with his eyes. This test, which is usually part of a battery of "field sobriety tests" given at the scene to a suspected drunk driver, is called the horizontal gaze nystagmus ("HGN"). It is based on the scientific fact that alcohol slows down the eyes' ability to track objects and causes the eyes to involuntarily oscillate, or "jerk", before they normally would in a sober person. As a person's blood alcohol concentration increases, the eyes will "jerk" sooner as they move to the side.

Stallworth was drafted from Tennessee in the first round of the 2002 draft by the New Orleans Saints. In addition to the Saints, he has played for the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and, now, the Cleveland Browns. Stallworth signed a $35 million contract with Cleveland one year ago; but, because of a hamstring injury, he only started 7 games, making 17 catches for 170 yards.

Manchester United's Ronaldo Totals His Ferrari
But Walks Away Without a Scratch

Manchester United's studly winger, Cristiano Ronaldo, totaled his $290,000 red Ferrari 599 GTB on January 8, but he walked away without a scratch. And get this. It was the first time he had driven the Ferrari.

Fortunately, Ronaldo has alternate transportation. He reportedly owns several Porsches, a BMW, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Bentley Continental GT.

The Ferrari was totaled when it slammed into a tunnel wall. One of its wheels sheared off and ended up 200 yards from the rest of the car. Fortunately, no other cars were involved.

I guess the 23 year old from Portugal's foot skills let him down.

Miraculously, he was not injured and he continued on to practice.