Arnold Schwarzenegger Went Airborne When He Drove His SUV Over a Prius, Driver Pressing Charges
Former California Governor and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger caused a four-car accident when he ran a red light and drove his GMC Yukon over a Prius. Even though witnesses say he immediately hopped out and volunteered to help the victims, one woman is suing him for āpermanent disabilityā caused byā¦a concussion. So whoās at fault here?
In early 2022, the āGubernatorā took his GM SUV for a drive along Sunset boulevard near his Los Angeles home. According to the Los Angeles Police Departmentsā report, Schwarzenegger ācontinued through a āred arrowā signal to turn left.ā So he didnāt full on run a red light at an intersection, and the lane may have even looked clear to him. But unfortunately, Toyota Prius driver Cheryl Augustine chose that moment to pull a U-turn. This maneuver put her directly in front of Schwarzeneggerās SUV.
The Denali then ārolled up onto the top of the Prius and continued to roll, ending up hitting a Porsche Cayenne and another vehicle that were waiting for a red light to change as well.ā Schwarzenegger was actually able to climb out of the SUV, which was still monster-trucked up on top of the Prius, and offer the other drivers assistance.
There are obviously optics issues with Californiaās famously emissions-conscious governor crushing a Prius with his SUV. But with a looming lawsuit, Schwarzenegger has other problems.
Was Augustineās maneuver legal? I had a California driverās license for a while and I can tell you U-Turns are legal in residential areas there, if no cars are in the way and the driver has clear visibility. So if Augustine began the U-turn before Schwarzenegger ran the red, she may be in the clear. But his running a red turn arrow is illegal no matter the circumstances.
So does he owe her money because he broke the law? Not necessarily, the state has set penalties for what he did but thereās no law that he has to give cash to everyone he hurt. But life is a bit different when everyone knows youāre worth $450 million.
Augustine is pressing charges for, āsignificant head trauma and a brain bleedā¦injuries from which she will never recover.ā She claims, āgreat physical and nervous pain and suffering.ā All of it thanks to the way Schwarzenegger ānegligently, wantonly, unlawfully, wrongfully and recklessly drove.ā Whether or not the lawsuit is fair, something tells me heāll settle outside of court to make it all go away.
I will say Augustine is lucky Schwarzenegger was just driving a GMC Denali. You see, he has been a huge fan of military Humvees for a decades. It was actually his pleas to GM that inspired the automaker to launch a civilian version. Later, Schwarzenegger heard the Austrian military was retiring the exact tank he had driven when he served, so he bought that and shipped it to California to add to his arsenal.
Next, read more about Arnold Schwarzeneggerās military vehicle collection or see the original footage of Schwarzeneggerās crash in the video below: