Car Crashes

A Texas drag racing event turned deadly on Saturday when a driver lost control of his ride and slammed into spectators -- killing two boys and injuring eight others.

The tragic incident happened at Kerrville-Kerr County Airport in Kerrville, Texas (60 miles north of San Antonio) during an event called "Airport Race Wars 2."

In footage of the race, you can see two cars sped down the runway ... when things took a tragic turn.

The driver in the right lane suddenly veered hard to the left ... and crashed into parked cars and spectators.

The Kerrville Police Department said in a statement that a 6-year-old boy was killed at the scene and an 8-year-old boy later died at the Peterson Regional Medical Center due to injuries suffered in the wreck.

Cops say eight others -- ranging from three months old to 46 years old -- were injured in the accident as well. The driver, meanwhile, was hurt in the crash but is said to be in stable condition.

The KPD says an investigation into the wreck is ongoing.

Flyin Diesel Performance -- which organized the event for the 3,500 fans -- added that it's working with the KPD ... and is devastated by the tragedy.

"On behalf of the entire Flyin Diesel team we extend our most sincere condolences to the families affected on Saturdays event!"

Scary moment for race fans in Connecticut this weekend -- a car flipped and crashed into a fence mid-race ... leaving multiple people injured.

The wild wreck happened Sunday night at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl during a 100-lap event.

In footage from the track, you can see driver Tim Jordan lost control of his car when he made contact with an opponent while fighting for 5th place.

Jordan's ride ended up on two wheels ... before it terrifyingly crashed into a fence where fans were standing.

Video shows the spectators were horrified, screaming and sprinting for cover as the car exploded just feet away from them.

According to track officials, several people were injured in the incident ... though they claim, thankfully, everyone is expected to recover just fine.

"We're happy to report everyone involved in tonight's incident is okay," the officials said in a statement.

Katey Sagal got hit by a car while crossing the street and was taken to the hospital, but thankfully ... she's going to be okay.

The "Sons of Anarchy" and 'Conners' star was struck by a car as she was crossing the street as a pedestrian Thursday in L.A. ... a source close to the actress tells TMZ.

We're told the driver of the car did stop to help Katey, and she was transported by ambulance to a local hospital and treated for her injuries. Our source says they're not serious though, and she's expected to be released sometime Friday.

It's currently unclear if the driver has been cited for the accident.

Along with her award-winning performance as Gemma Teller on 'Sons' ... Katey also sang several songs featured on the show. Here's one to enjoy, as we say get well soon!!!

Joe Don Rooney -- lead guitarist for the country music trio Rascal Flatts -- allegedly told cops a wild story about what led to his DUI bust. Literally, wild.

According to a police affidavit, obtained by TMZ, cops say Rooney told them he was driving his BMW in Williamson County, TN back in September at around 4 AM when a deer ran out in front of him.

Cops say Rooney blamed the deer for causing him to veer off-road and crash into some trees, which deployed his airbags. Cops say Rooney smelled like booze ... and that he told them he played golf earlier before going to a friend's house for drinks. The officer says he admitted to "one more than I should have."

What's more ... cops say Rooney bombed several field sobriety tests. As we reported ... he was ultimately arrested and taken to county jail where he was booked on a misdemeanor DUI charge. He was later released after posting $2,500 bond.

Assane Drame, L.A. Clippers video assistant, was tragically killed in a car accident earlier this week following a ground breaking ceremony for the organizations new stadium.

He was only 26 years old.

Drame, who joined the organizations as an intern in 2019, worked with the Clips digital media group.

Before the fatal crash, Assane was present at the Clippers ground breaking ceremony in Inglewood Monday afternoon.

Officials say Drame was on the 10 Freeway in L.A. ... when he pulled his 2012 Honda Accord to the shoulder off the road. Moments later his vehicle was hit by another car, causing fatal injuries.

Assane was originally reported missing by his family after they received a call from Clippers HR, saying he hadn't showed up to work.

The Clippers organization released a statement on the Assane's death, writing ... "The Clippers organization mourns the loss of Assane Drame, a dedicated employee, a talented videographer and a loyal friend."

The statement later continued ... "He was a hard worker and a gentle soul, passionate about his craft and kind to his colleagues, earning the respect and admiration of players, coaches and staff."

And, that's clear ... 'cause players like Nicolas Batum and Terrence Mann expressed their condolences online.

Batum wrote, "Just heard the sad news. Rest In Peace King 🙏🏽🕊"

"🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Heard nothing but great things about Assane. 🤞🏾🕊🕊 Send Prayers up," Mann tweeted.

The Rowan University alum is survived by his family in New Jersey.

Helen Hunt is suing an L.A. limo company claiming its negligence resulted in a crash that put her in the hospital.

The Academy Award-winning actress filed legal docs in L.A., claiming BLS Limousine Service of L.A., Inc. is responsible for the injuries she suffered during a crash on October 16, 2019.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Helen says on top of medical expenses ... she also suffered wage losses and loss of earning capacity -- plus emotional distress, pain, suffering and other damages.

We broke the story ... Helen was rushed to the hospital after the BLS-operated SUV she was riding in flipped on its side during a violent crash. It was t-boned by a much smaller white sedan.

Helen was the sole passenger in the SUV. As you can see from the surveillance video ... it seems Helen's driver thought they had a clear path to cross the intersection, but that was a bad decision.

The other vehicle smashed into the side of the SUV and rolled it over. It's unclear from the video if either vehicle had a stop sign, and the lawsuit makes no mention of that.

Helen was ultimately taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Bev Hills after complaining of pain. We later got shots of her leaving the hospital a few hours after the crash.

Richard Sherman is still gunning to play football in 2021 ... and he's imploring any GM interested in signing him to judge him off his game tape -- not his wild July arrest.

"I've got a decade worth of resume that should stand more firmly than a momentarily lapse in judgment," Sherman said. "I've got a decade worth of character and tape to be judged off of."

Sherman, speaking in-depth about the crazy incident at his in-laws' home for the first time since the arrest, made the statements to NFL reporter Doug Farrar ... and explained he's ready to go if any NFL team wants to sign him.

Sherman also said he understands the July 14 tirade -- one in which he nearly beat down his wife's parents' door in a fit of rage -- wasn't exactly the best look for him.

Still, the 33-year-old corner said he thinks none of it should deter any NFL squads from putting him on their rosters.

"If you're judging me off a momentarily lapse then I think it's going to be -- then I'm probably not the player for you either way," said Sherman, who then vowed to burn any team who passes on him.

Sherman has only been linked to one squad since the incident ... with Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians confirming they've checked in on the 5-time Pro Bowler recently.

As for any potential discipline from the NFL that might come down on Sherman due to the arrest -- the cornerback said he has not heard any news on that front.

Everson Griffen will miss the Vikings' game this weekend ... after he injured himself attempting to swerve out of the way of a deer in the road on Thursday.

Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer explained the situation to reporters Friday ... saying Griffen crashed his car while trying to avoid the animal.

Zimmer said the 33-year-old pass rusher was later diagnosed with a concussion ... and is now out of action indefinitely.

"Swerved to miss a deer," Zimmer told media members of the incident. "Got in a car accident."

We've reached out to law enforcement for more information on the wreck ... but so far, no word back yet.

Griffen -- who played for Minnesota from 2010 to 2019 -- re-signed with the Vikings just a few weeks ago ... and played in the team's opener against Cincinnati last Sunday.

Jason London is harkening back to his most popular movie role, but in the worst way possible -- cops say he was so drunk he swerved off a road and crashed his car ... multiple times.

According to a police report, obtained by TMZ, the "Dazed and Confused" star was arrested late Tuesday around 11:30 PM in Ocean Springs, Mississippi when cops found him behind the wheel of a 2010 Nissan Maxima that was on fire and stuck in a ditch.

Cops say London's passenger was standing near the car -- which had sustained heavy damage on the passenger side -- and London claimed someone had sideswiped them and run them off the road.

According to cops, London -- who played football star Randall "Pink" Floyd in the 1993 Matthew McConaughey film -- reeked of booze, could barely keep his balance and had slurred speech.

Cops investigated the scene and believe he swerved off the road, mowed down a sign, got back on the road, and then hit a concrete object before driving into a ditch.

London was booked for public intoxication and leaving the scene of an accident. When they got him to jail in Jackson County, cops say he was so drunk and out of it they couldn't fingerprint him.

Kat Von D's tattoo parlor must have 9 lives ... a car slammed into the barbershop right next door to her place -- and while it's total deja vu to Kat, the barbers just kept on cutting through the crisis.

The former "L.A. Ink" star owns the famous High Voltage Tattoo in West Hollywood, and the pigment parlor just missed getting smoked by a wayward car Tuesday -- by just a few feet, it ended up crashing into Trendsetters Barbershop.

That would seem like a pretty good reason to call it a day, but this is Hollywood, baby ... and the show must go on!

As you can see, barbers were still cutting heads on one side of the shop ... while a silver Infiniti and smashed glass was on the other.

It's not the first time Kat's tattoo shop has narrowly avoided an outta control vehicle. As we reported, way back in 2007, the business next to Kat's was hit by a truck. It's the same exact address as the barber, but back then it was an Edible Arrangement store.

Joe Don Rooney -- lead guitarist for the country music trio Rascal Flatts -- has been charged with driving under the influence after crashing his car near Nashville ... this according to law enforcement.

Cops say the musician was arrested after he crashed into a tree around 4 AM Thursday in Williamson County.

Luckily for Joe, he wasn't injured ... however, we're told he was taken to the county jail where he was booked on a DUI charge and released after posting $2,500 bond.

Along with playing guitar for Rascal Flatts, Rooney -- a founding member of the group -- sings the high-octave backup harmonies ... and plays the mandolin and banjo as well.

Former longtime NFL player David Patten has died at 47 years old ... after he was involved in a motorcycle accident on Thursday, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Law enforcement tells us the crash happened around 9:45 PM ... and Patten was pronounced dead on the scene.

Police say Patten -- on his motorcycle -- "traveled left of center" and struck a Chevrolet Sedan. The Chevy then sideswiped a Honda. The driver of the Chevrolet was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Patten had a wonderful football career ... winning 3 rings with the Pats in the early 2000s. David caught a touchdown pass from Tom Brady in Super Bowl XXXVI -- helping TB12 win his 1st ring.

It was an improbable path for the 5'10" receiver ... he went undrafted out of Western Carolina in 1996 ... before signing with an Arena Football League squad.

He only played arena ball for 1 season before catching on with the NY Giants. Patten spent 3 seasons with the G-Men, and 1 with the Cleveland Browns before signing with the Pats in 2001.

Patten won 3 Super Bowls in New England ... before leaving in 2004. Patten played several more season in New Orleans and Washington before retiring. He ultimately played 12 seasons in the NFL.

Since hanging up his cleats, Patten had been living with his wife in South Carolina ... the state where he was born.

Many of Patten's famous teammates have expressed condolences following his death.

Richard Seymour wrote ... "heartbroken 💔 great man of God… lost for words - David Patten… 🙏🏽"

Deion Branch also weighed in on the terrible news ... "🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 Great Player, but Most of All A Great Man, Mentor and Brother #LoveYou #ChiefChief"

David's former coach, Charlie Weis, also talked about the loss of his former player.

"Shocked and saddened about the sudden tragic death of David Patten. Excellent player, even better person. Family guy, team guy, devout Christian. Prayers all directed this way. RIP David. You will be sorely missed."

RIP

A motorist in New Jersey lost control of their car and put a quick scare into the fast-food patrons at a Wendy's as the vehicle came smashing back to the ground ... just feet away from them.

According to South Brunswick PD ... the wild incident went down Monday when the car -- a Toyota Corolla -- launched over a berm, and surveillance cameras captured it flying through the air across the parking lot before clipping an Audi waiting in the drive-thru line.

A second camera shot shows the end result, as the vehicle then crashes into the Wendy's and hits an outdoor table right next to a table where a family was eating.

Thankfully, cops say there were no serious injuries. That's pretty hard to believe when you see the damage, which forced the Wendy's to close up shop for now.

According to reports ... the driver may have suffered a medical issue that caused the freak accident, and a child in the Audi was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Blues Traveler had a scary moment on its travels ... the band's tour bus crashed on an interstate and several band members were rushed to a hospital with minor injuries.

A rep for the band, Deborah Radel, tells TMZ ... their bus crashed Wednesday night in Minnesota on their way to Friday's tour stop, and the crash left everyone inside trapped until law enforcement and first responders arrived.

We're told the band was on the way to Rochester, MN and the single-vehicle crash left them shaken, while a few, including frontman John Popper, were injured and treated at a local hospital.

Minnesota State Police say the tour bus lost control on I-90 and crashed into the center median ditch, resulting in non-life threatening injuries for 3 passengers.

John was live-posting about the crash on Facebook, saying he injured his ribs and another bandmate suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Brendan Schaub -- former UFC star and comedian -- saved 3 children from a terrifying car wreck last week ... after their father allegedly drove the wrong way on the highway, killing the kid's mom in a fatal collision.

38-year-old Schaub was driving to a restaurant with his girlfriend on August 12 around 7 PM... when he saw an 18-wheeler and a mangled 2003 Lincoln were involved in a serious accident.

Schaub says he saw a child sitting on top of the vehicle, screaming for assistance ... so he pulled over and immediately sprang into action, rushing to the car to help.

At the same time, Brendan says he saw a shoeless man run from the smashed-up car, across the highway ... where he was hit by another vehicle, leaving him stunned on the ground.

When Schaub got to the wreck, he had to bust out a window and remove the kids from the car. He says the big rig's gas tank was punctured, spilling gasoline all over the road.

According to an incident report, obtained by TMZ Sports, there were 4 kids in the vehicle when it crashed.

Tragically, Brendan says the mom of the kids, who was sitting in the front seat, died before he arrived ... and he made sure her children did not see the traumatic scene as they left the car.

Schaub talked about the experience on his podcast, "The Fighter and The Kid," getting emotional while breaking down about the harrowing situation.

We've also learned that the 31-year-old shoeless man who ran across the highway was the father of the kids ... who was subsequently arrested for murder.

According to docs, the man -- who was not seriously injured in either of the crashes -- was combative with cops, according to law enforcement, and had to be tased.

Thankfully, the children only suffered minor injuries.

The family of the deceased mom has started a GoFundMe -- already over $46k -- to raise money for a funeral.

"My niece Aimee García (26) was Killed In Wrong-Way Driving Collision With Big Rig On 101 Freeway In Encino. She leaves behind four beautiful children all under the age of 8," the fundraiser profile reads.

"She was a loving, caring mother unfortunately she was a victim of domestic violence for many years and yesterday the aggressor fulfilled his objective and enter the freeway the wrong way intentionally killing my niece. Thank God the children are fine but very traumatized."

Schaub was one of the best heavyweights in the world as a fighter ... beating guys like Matt Mitrione in the UFC.

Alyssa Milano might have saved her uncle's life during a scary car accident that could've taken both their lives on an L.A. freeway, reaching over and using her hand to hit the brakes as he suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Alyssa was a passenger Tuesday in a Ford Edge driven by her Uncle, Mitch, who started to have a medical issue. Cops say another vehicle hit theirs as Mitch fell unconscious, suffering what appears to be a heart attack.

Their SUV drifted into another lane and struck another vehicle, but then it came to a stop thanks to Alyssa's quick thinking.

Our sources say she sprung into action from the passenger seat while her uncle was passed out, reaching over him and using her hand to slam the brakes and stop the car. We're told she started giving him CPR until help arrived and first responders took over.

Uncle Mitch was taken to a nearby hospital ... and a rep for Alyssa tells us he's still being treated.

Cops say a couple Good Samaritans stopped to help ... and Alyssa's camp tells us she's grateful for everyone who aided her uncle, including first responders and hospital staff.