Car Crashes

Helen Hunt was rushed to the hospital after the SUV she was riding in flipped over during a violent crash in Los Angeles ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Our sources say the Academy Award-winning actress was the solo passenger in the back of a black SUV Tuesday afternoon when another car clipped Helen's, flipping it onto its side.

In video of the wreck, obtained by TMZ, you can see the violent collision -- it appears Helen's vehicle thought it had a clear path to cross the intersection -- the SUV almost makes it to the other side, but gets clipped at the last second, flipping it over.

Sources say Helen, who became super famous from the TV classic, "Mad About You," and went on to do big flicks like "Twister" and "As Good as it Gets," was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Bev Hills after complaining of pain. We're told she was transported in stable condition. We don't know the status of the SUV driver or the other driver involved.

We got Helen leaving the hospital a few hours after the accident ... her rep tells us she was shaken, but suffered no major injuries.

Boxing superstar Errol Spence has been charged with DWI ... after he crashed his Ferrari and flipped it several times in a terrifying accident last week, TMZ Sports has learned.

29-year-old Spence -- one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world -- crashed his white Ferrari around 3 AM in Dallas after driving at a high rate of speed and driving over the median, flipping at least 5 times.

Spence somehow managed to escape the crash with NO broken bones, but several broken teeth. He was later released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Dallas PD conducted an investigation into the accident ... and on Wednesday he was charged with a class B misdemeanor driving while intoxicated.

Spence's rep released a statement shortly after the crash, saying, "[Spence's family] want to thank everyone for their prayers and well wishes and are extremely grateful to the Dallas first responders who rush to the scene to attend to Errol after the accident and the doctors who are taking care of him at the hospital."

Ex-NFL running back Cedric Benson had THC in his system during his fatal motorcycle crash on August 17, this according to the autopsy report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The 36-year-old running back was driving his BMW motorcycle with a female passenger in Austin, Texas around 10:20 PM when he slammed into a minivan that was trying to make a left turn across his lane of traffic. Both Benson and his passenger, Aamna Najam, passed away.

The Travis Country Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on Benson and determined he died from blunt force injuries combined with severe burn injuries from the ensuing fire.

According to the report, Benson suffered burns to the majority of his body -- including his face, neck, torso, arms, hands, thighs, etc.

Benson also suffered several broken bones in the crash including a rib, a fractured pelvis, multiple abrasions and lacerations and severe injuries to his hands and wrists.

The report says witnesses called 911 and desperately tried to put out the flames on Benson's body with clothes and a fire extinguisher.

Benson was initially responsive when paramedics arrived, but ultimately died on scene.

As for the toxicology report, Benson tested positive for THC -- 42 ng/mL.

Benson also tested positive for a small amount of alcohol in his system but we're told the number is more consistent with ethanol produced by the body during decomposition than alcohol consumed that night. In other words, officials do NOT believe he was drunk.

The presence of THC could open the door for a possible lawsuit against Benson's estate if Najam's family wants to pursue a wrongful death claim.

Benson was an incredible athlete -- he racked up more than 5,500 yards at the University of Texas and won the Doak Walker Award (top running back in the country) his senior year.

He signed a rookie deal with the Chicago Bears -- 5 years, $35 mil -- and was a key part of Chicago's 2006 NFC Championship team.

Odell Beckham allegedly let his pal borrow a super expensive BMW -- and the guy wrecked it in the Lincoln Tunnel ... and now the insurance company is going after Odell for the cash.

It all went down in 2017 when a company called Celebrity Motors says it let the then New York Giants WR borrow a 2017 BMW 650XG (worth around $103k) to drive around town.

Celebrity Motors claims Beckham was the only person authorized to drive the car -- but Odell let his buddy, Blake Anderson, from Louisiana take it out for a spin on Oct. 24, 2017 ... and the guy wrecked it while driving like a maniac in the Tunnel, according to the lawsuit.

In the suit, filed by CM's insurance company (Lexington Insurance Company), Anderson allegedly "carelessly" cut across several lanes of traffic to try and exit the tunnel, but instead struck another car causing $38k in damage to the BMW.

Lexington Insurance claims Beckham should have known his friend is a terrible and unsafe driver with multiple traffic infractions and had no experience driving a car with "this kind of power." They also claim Anderson doesn't have the means to pay for the damage.

There could be one big issue for the insurance company ... they admit in the lawsuit the deal with Beckham was only an "oral agreement" -- and he may claim he never agreed to take responsibility for anyone else driving the car.

The Joker is actually a good guy -- at least in real life -- because when Joaquin Phoenix hit a fire department vehicle, he tracked down the paramedics to confess.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Joaquin was making a right turn out of a parking lot in West Hollywood Tuesday afternoon when his Tesla scraped the bumper of an unoccupied L.A. County Fire Dept. truck.

We're told Joaquin parked and found the paramedics, who were on a call, and explained what happened -- he simply misjudged it and didn't make a wide enough turn. Police were called, everyone exchanged insurance info and a damage report was also taken because L.A. County property was damaged.

Kevin Hart's car crash was caused by the driver operating the vehicle in a reckless fashion ... this according to the California Highway Patrol, which has just completed its report on the accident.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Kevin's 1970 Plymouth Barracuda crashed because driver Jared Black gunned the engine and lost control. The car had incredible power with a 720-HP engine. We're told the sudden acceleration and loss of control caused the vehicle to go into a spin and it ended up crashing through a fence and into an embankment.

According to our sources, the report says none of the 3 people in the car were wearing seat belts. As we reported, the Barracuda did not have safety harnesses, but now it's not an issue since they weren't wearing any safety device.

Our sources say the vehicle did not have any mechanical issues. It was purely driver error -- willful or wanton disregard for people or property.

Boxing superstar Errol Spence -- one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world -- is badly injured and being treated in an Intensive Care Unit in Dallas after crashing a white Ferrari early Thursday morning.

The 29-year-old was driving on Riverfront Blvd. around 3 AM at a high rate of speed, according to cops, when the car went over the center median and flipped at least 5 times.

Spence, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the car and suffered serious injuries, officials say. You can see in the photos, obtained by FOX 4, it doesn't appear the vehicle has a roof.

Spence was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police say he's expected to survive.

The Dallas Police Dept. raced to the scene. Several officers were seen investigating the crash. It's unclear at this point if they believe alcohol was a factor.

Kevin Hart is getting back to his famous "Hustle Hart" mode after his horrific car accident -- but he's not rushing into anything intense -- like full action scenes -- just yet.

Sources connected to Kevin tell TMZ ... he's reported to work this week to promote the upcoming 'Jumanji' sequel in a new marketing campaign, which clearly required his presence, because he's nowhere near 100 percent yet.

Ever the trooper though, we're told Kevin is committed to fulfilling his commitments as best as he can. For example, our sources say Kevin did 2 hours of shoots on set Monday, another 2 hours Tuesday, and will be back for another couple on Thursday.

We're told Kevin has not been in full costume for these shoots and he's not walking much for them either -- sitting through most of the day -- even though he can walk on his own these days.

Everyone else on set -- including The Rock, Jack Black, Nick Jonas and others -- have been doing full days themselves. Of course, they're not recovering from a near-fatal wreck.

Gerard Butler's going after the driver who allegedly cut him off in traffic and caused him to crash ... according to a new suit.

According to the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- he was ejected from his Triumph Bonneville motorcycle when a woman "negligently pulled her vehicle off the curb" and cut across lanes of traffic directly in front of him.

The "Angel Has Fallen" star claims he had no time to stop, so he hit the lady's Benz on the driver's side and went flying off ... and he says he suffered "catastrophic injuries."

We broke the story ... Butler was hospitalized after the October 2017 accident. Paramedics arrived on the scene and briefly treated him before he was transported.

Some bad news, good news for Dodgers fans ...

Bad news ... Corey Seager was involved in a minor car crash Tuesday afternoon before a workout at Dodger Stadium.

Good news ... he's fine, no injuries.

The superstar shortstop was driving in L.A. when a person in a parked car opened their door, and Seager struck it, according to Bill Plunkett of the O.C. Register.

Both cars suffered damage, but no one was hurt, Plunkett says.

Seager eventually made it to Dodger Stadium and looked unfazed during workouts.

Of course, the Dodgers are gearing up for Game 1 of the Division Playoffs against the Washington Nationals on Thursday night ... so they're gonna need a healthy Seager!!!

The only possible lingering issue for the 25-year-old star ... he's probably gonna have to cough up some dough to fix the car he hit.

Seager reportedly raked in $4 million in salary for the Dodgers in 2019 ... but the guy's an absolute stud so a FAT  payday is coming in his future.

The elderly man who was seriously injured after getting hit by Laila Ali's SUV in 2018 has lawyered up and filed a lawsuit ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported ... Ali accidentally hit a man with her Land Rover while backing out of a Calabasas shopping center in December '18 ... causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground. The man claims he went unconscious for a brief amount of time.

Paramedics and L.A. County Sheriff's deputies quickly responded to the scene ... and Ali cooperated with law enforcement. She was not arrested.

In court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, the man -- Robert Ise -- says he suffered a left orbital blowout fracture, a concussion and lacerations and contusions across his body.

Ise claims he still suffers from pain and emotional distress due to Ali's negligence ... and now he wants her to pay for all past and future medical expenses.

Ali released a statement after the accident ... saying she was praying for the man's recovery.

Kevin Hart and the 2 people in his car that crashed Sept. 1 have all lawyered up, TMZ has learned, and everyone's expecting a big lawsuit.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us, the driver, who sustained serious back and chest injuries has an attorney, as does the passenger in the backseat, who sustained only minor injuries. Kevin has a lawyer as well.

We're told Kevin is in the crosshairs of the other 2 people in the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda because the car did not have safety harnesses or airbags. The argument is ... Kevin should have worried less about keeping the car authentic and more about safety -- and not doing so constitutes negligence.

The driver could also be on the hook for Kevin and the backseat passenger, but it's a little premature since the CHP is still investigating the cause of the crash.

The big issue ... we're told the company that customized the car could be looking at a lawsuit. The argument goes like this ... the company is the expert and even if Kevin wanted a custom job without safety harnesses, the company should have refused the job because it wasn't safe ... especially with a powerful, 720 horsepower engine.

We contacted 10 custom car companies around the country and asked if Kevin's crash has opened their eyes and changed their minds about customizing classic cars without installing safety harnesses. 8 out of the 10 said they would if that's what the customer wanted. Only 2 said they would not.

It's interesting because it opens these companies up to a lawsuit, especially if there are passengers in the car who get injured.

A bizarre and terrifying scene in Chicago -- someone behind the wheel of an SUV drove straight through a Sears and into a mall.

In the video, shot by one terrified shopper, the vehicle plows through kiosks in the Woodfield Mall, and just keeps going ... smashing store windows and rolling over everything in its path.

You can hear one shopper repeatedly yelling, very appropriately, "What the f**k?!!" Multiple reports say police responded and were able to take the driver into custody.

Video from a news chopper showed the outdoor entrance to Sears totally destroyed -- so, it appears that's where the driver first got into the mall in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg.

It's unclear what the psycho's motive was ... or if there were any casualties.

Kevin Hart has checked out of his inpatient rehab facility and is back home where he's receiving intensive physical therapy, but the big takeaway ... he's "grateful" and "shocked" he's alive.

Sources very close to Kevin tell us, he's looked at the photos of the car crash and can't believe anyone walked out alive. TMZ broke the story, Kevin messed up his back bad -- 3 spinal fractures that required fusion.

He spent 10 days in the hospital under heavy pain meds and was then transferred to the inpatient facility, but he's home now. He has a physical therapist coming to his house most days ... and he's doing lots of stretching and exercises with therapy bands.

He's still in a lot of pain but says he's handling it without all the meds that knocked him out.

We're also told he's not worried about the injuries torpedoing his career ... doctors and the PT have assured him he'll be pretty much back to where he was before the accident, and he had nothing immediate on his plate work-wise, so he can focus on bouncing back.

Kevin says he's grateful to be alive and has "a new perspective on life." We asked what that meant and were told, "He really cherishes the fact that he's alive, and wants to make the most of it in every respect. The crash had a huge impact on him."

Need proof Kevin Hart's gonna pull through after a devastating car crash? Look no further than his wife ... 'cause she sounds incredibly optimistic.

Eniko Hart was leaving a Starbucks Thursday in L.A. and the obvious question ... Kev's prognosis. TMZ broke the story ... Kevin was released from the hospital Wednesday and he checked in to a live-in rehab facility, telling friends he was grateful to be alive. That said, he's staring down at least a week in the new facility and months of outpatient rehab.

As you know ... Kevin, a driver and another passenger careened into a ditch in Malibu a week ago Sunday, and he fractured 3 areas of the spine. He had those 3 areas fused during surgery.

Eniko knows the road ahead will be tough, but she's got a lot of pep in her step and is super upbeat.

Robin Thicke's fiancee is at fault for a 2-car crash in Malibu ... so say cops in their preliminary investigation, but it's not all bad news for Robin's baby mama.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops have determined Robin's fiancee, April Love Geary, made an unsafe left turn onto the PCH with her Cadillac Escalade last weekend, causing her to smash into a BMW carrying 3 people.

We're told April's car hit the passenger side of the Beamer and the impact was so hard ... it sent the BMW flying off the side of the road.