Nick Hogan Bollea Whatever Arrested, Was Drinking Before Accident
Finally, a police department got it right when it comes to a celebrity. Nick Hogan Bollea Whatever his name is turned himself in to the police today and was arrested. The charges stem from the accident which put his passenger, Marine John Graziano, in the hospital with serious brain damage:
Bollea, 17, was at the wheel of a speeding yellow Toyota Supra that went out of control and slammed, rear-bumper first, into a palm tree in the median on Court Street, officials say. The wreck critically injured Bollea's friend and passenger, 22-year-old John Graziano. The Supra, which was owned by Bollea's famous father, was totaled (see photo from the crash at right).Reckless driving with serious bodily injury is a third-degree felony. In addition to that charge, authorities cited Bollea with using a motor vehicle in commission of a felony, being a driver under 21 operating a vehicle with a breath-alcohol level of .02 percent or higher and having illegal window tinting. The blood-alcohol level at which Florida law presumes a driver to be impaired is .08 percent.
Police said today that Bollea's car was going faster than 60 mph at the time of the crash. The speed limit on that stretch of road is 40 mph.
Authorities have said from the start that speed was a factor in the crash. In the days after the wreck, witnesses told the Times and investigators that they saw Bollea's Supra racing a silver Dodge Viper on the rain-slick road moments before the crash.
Authorities have also cited another driver, Daniel Aaron Jacobs, in the accident. Allegedly, his vehicle and Nick's were racing on wet streets when the accident occurred. Witnesses have said from the beginning that the yellow Supra (aka "The P*ssy Magnet") was racing with another car just prior to the accident.
His defense attorneys have issued a statement:
"Nick and the entire Hogan-Bollea family are saddened that criminal charges have been filed in regards to the tragic single-car accident on Aug. 26, 2007. Nick will meet and answer these charges in the appropriate arena — a court of law. The family's primary focus and concern still remains for the continued recovery of Nick's longtime friend, John Graziano. The Bolleas will also continue to stand by the Graziano family and help them in any way they can."The tragedy to both families is compounded by the fact that unfortunately, John was not wearing a seat belt," the attorney's statement continued. "Thankfully, Nick was wearing his. Because of what happened to John, the entire Bollea family will make it a priority to increase public awareness of the importance of always wearing your seat belt.
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