The 'Tron Legacy' actor allegedly 'passed out' behind the wheel of his car before colliding with a Nissan Sentra, which contains accuser Maria Venegas and her daughter Jennifer Castillo.
- Jan 22, 2022
AceShowbiz - Garrett Hedlund has been hit with a new lawsuit following a head-on car accident two years ago. The "Tron Legacy" actor was sued for negligence by a woman named Marina Venegas and her daughter Jennifer Castillo.
On Friday, January 21, Marina and Jennifer filed the court documents, in which they alleged that the 37-year-old actor was responsible for a "horrible head-on crash" in Los Angeles on January 24, 2020. In the legal papers, obtained by TMZ, the star allegedly "passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle and ran a solid red-light at a high rate of speed," colliding with a Nissan Sentra containing Marina, Jennifer and other two minor children.
"Hedlund's conduct was despicable in that he knew and was educated in the dangers presented to Plaintiffs and the public when he operated a vehicle while intoxicated," the complaint read. "There was a very strong odor of hard liquor emitting from Hedlund's breath, body, and the cab of the Jeep despite the windows being open/broken."
As a result of the crash, Maria, Jennifer as well as the kids suffered "severe and permanent injuries" and had to be taken to the emergency room. "There were open bottles of alcoholic beverages in the vehicle which Hedlund discarded prior to the arrival of police," the documents continued.
Maria and Jennifer further claimed that Garrett "tried to flee the scene of the accident by attempting to continue to turn on his vehicle and driver, forcing others to take away his keys and prevent him from leaving." The complaint added, "Hedlund refused a DUI test at the scene of the accident. However, when hours later he was tested, he was so intoxicated that his blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit."
At the time, Garrett's blood level tested at .36 percent, four times the legal limit of .08. In the court documents, Maria and Jennifer noted that the actor "could have taken a taxi or called a ride-share, but refused to do so." They are asking for punitive damages and a jury trial.
Garrett was arrested on January 24, 2020 and released on bail with a court date set for February 25 that year. The "Triple Frontier" actor later pleaded no contest to one count and was found guilty while the second DUI charge was dismissed.
Following the incident, Garrett sought and completed a 30-day residential treatment program and a nine-month first-offender alcohol and drug education counseling program. The "Country Strong" star also initiated and volunteered for residential treatment after his arrest. "When the incident occurred, Garrett immediately sought treatment which was successful. Today, he is in a solid and great place," his rep said in a statement at the time.
