Nick Bollea (Hogan) in bad car crash tonight

[dinanm3atl]

he is a decent drifter...

He is just a kid and taking is overly powerful car on the street.

Give him a break. I know none of us have ever done anything stupid like street racing. Ever.

[Rob]

sounds like typical journalistic conjecture to me.

[Farbin Kaiber]

The Hulkster's silver Viper was the other car?

[atomic]

Hogan Son a Speed Demon?
Wed Aug 29, 2:46 PM

Was Nick Hogan going too fast and too furious?

Three days after losing control of his yellow Toyota Supra sports car and smashing into a palm tree, critically injuring his friend, Hulk Hogan's teenage son is now under scrutiny by police in Clearwater, Florida, for a checkered driving history that includes four speeding tickets racked up in the past year alone.

Per Florida driving records obtained by Tampa Bay Fox 13 affiliate WTVT, the 17-year-old Hogan—real name Nick Bollea—was nailed last September driving 105 mph in a 70 mph zone in Collier County in nearby Naples; in February, he was ticketed for driving 57 mph in a 30 mph in Dade County; then in April, he was busted for driving 106 mph in a 70 mph zone in Osceola County.

Last but not least, just two weeks ago while zooming around the city of Pinellas Park, the Hogan Knows Best star was nabbed going 82 mph in a 45 mph zone—nearly double the speed limit—and in a construction zone, no less.


As a result of those prior offenses, authorities restricted Bollea's license for six months, meaning he was only allowed to drive during the daylight hours.

While Clearwater Police spokesman Wayne Shelor declined to comment on the speeding report, pending the outcome of the investigation, he previously acknowledged that Bollea was driving at a "high rate of speed" at the time of Sunday's accident, which occurred when it was still light out.

The spokesman added that detectives were still in the process of interviewing witnesses.

The speeding revelations surfaced amid reports that he may have been drag-racing another car moments before the Supra crashed.

Frances Vitalis, a Plant City registered nurse, told the St. Petersburg Times she was on a motorcycle not far behind Bollea's car and saw the Supra and a silver Dodge Viper speeding on rain-slick roads between traffic lights.

"We knew something was going to happen," she said Tuesday. "You know that this is a bad situation and these guys are hotdogging."

Vitalis added that after the accident, she stopped and tried to get Bollea and Graziano out of the vehicle, but the Supra was so smashed that she wasn't able to open any of its doors.

The paper noted that Hulk Hogan, whose birth name is Terry Bollea, owns a 2006 silver Dodge Viper coupe that matched the description of the other vehicle, though witnesses were not able to identify the driver.

Shelor subsequently issued a statement on Wednesday saying the pro-wrestling superstar was not driving alongside the teen at the time of impact, but had shown up at the scene several minutes later, and there is so far no outright proof indicating the younger Bollea was racing.

Emergency crews on the scene subsequently extracted Bollea and his passenger, 22-year-old active-duty marine John J. Graziano, from the twisted metal and airlifted them to St. Petersburg's Bayfront Medical Center.

Bollea was treated and released the next day. However, WTVT reports that his longtime friend, who just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, is in a coma and needs emergency surgery, but doctors have been prevented from operating due to swelling on his brain.

Graziano's grandmother was quoted by the Tampa Tribune as saying there's a chance the marine may have suffered brain damage.

Various media outlets have described both Graziano and Bollea as great friends, but also adrenaline junkies to an extent. WTVT noted that the latter had expressed an interest in fast cars and even mentioned attending stunt-driving school at one time.

In fact, in a blog entry on his MySpace page dated June 19, Bollea wrote that he was "working his way into the drifting world" and was practicing up on his skills in hopes of driving the Viper in a formula race. Under occupation, he also describes himself as a "pro drifter."

In the wake of Sunday's crash, Bollea has since posted a message thanking "everyone who has sent their support" to him.

"Right now I would like to ask all of you to focus your prayers on my friend, John," he wrote.

Bollea's sister, aspiring pop star Brooke Hogan, offered pretty much the same wishes in a post on her MySpace page.

Not taking any chances, the Hogan family has hired J. Kevin Hayslett, a Clearwater-based attorney specializing in criminal defense and drunk driving cases, to represent Bollea in the event charges are filed.

Graziano's family and close friends, meanwhile, remain by his bedside at the hospital. A prayer vigil for friends and acquaintances is scheduled for tonight in Glen Oaks Park.

© 2007 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All rights reserved., http://www.eonline.com/about/copyright/index.jsp

[Farbin Kaiber]

lavender veilside FD, or a Viper, either way he was playing stupid on the road...

[Tree18is]

oh well. thanks darwin.

[Widm3r]

Wow that car is messed up, and that photoshop of hogan laying the smackdown is classic! I wonder who was winning before the crash?

[redhatpat]

I wish I could take credit for this one:

[atomic]

witness' say " just before the wreck the supra was seen racing a viper at high rates of speed " and the news report says the passenger might have brain damage because of excessive swelling of the brain..........

[boom-monkey]

Are the Hogans scientologists?

I think Hulk Hogan is originally from Clearwater, they lived there up until recently.

[JK_E30]

I can see the F&F trilogy in the back seat of the car.... huh, seems to be in good condition still..

de de deezz.

even though he is retarded, I hope everyone is alright... even tho the car will be done forever...:(

[atomic]

Speed a factor? You think so?


Seat time is irrelevant. Going as fast as he obviously was on the street qualifies this Nick guy as an idiot. If this crash doesn't kill him, the next one will.

Or his daddy might kill him too for a stupid stunt like this if it happens again !!!

[redhatpat]

just saw this on the news a couple of hours ago, they say speed was defenitely a factor.

Speed a factor? You think so?

naw shit happens.. i bet that kid has had more driving classes and seattime then half the guys here.. even tho some of that was going sideways.. shit happens when going that fast it doesnt matter what age you are.

Seat time is irrelevant. Going as fast as he obviously was on the street qualifies this Nick guy as an idiot. If this crash doesn't kill him, the next one will.

[BimmerToad]

Clearwater, Florida

Are the Hogans scientologists?

[pwforprez]

naw shit happens.. i bet that kid has had more driving classes and seattime then half the guys here.. even tho some of that was going sideways.. shit happens when going that fast it doesnt matter what age you are.