Shia LaBeouf’s car accident in Hollywood on Sunday could have been more
serious – as it is, he has been cited for misdemeanor drunken driving, has undergone
surgery on his injured left hand and is now recovering in order to return to
the set of “Transformers 2.”
Shia LaBeouf joined a long list of celebrities who have been
arrested for driving under the influence when he experienced his own personal
arrest Sunday evening after being involved in a multi-vehicle accident caused
by over-consumption of alcohol on his part.
Los Angeles
County sheriff’s deputies
said the 22-year-old actor made a left turn and collided with another vehicle
about 2:30 a.m. at the intersection of La Brea and Fountain avenues, reports
the Los Angeles Times. His pickup truck rolled over in the crash.
He suffered minor injuries to his head and one knee but his left
hand was more seriously hurt, as he required medical attention. LaBeouf was
taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
for surgery, Sgt. Kristin Aloma of the sheriff’s West
Hollywood station told the Times.
LaBeouf “was exhibiting obvious signs of intoxication”
Sunday evening, upon being arrested, Aloma said.
The female passenger riding with Shia LaBeouf and the driver
of the other vehicle suffered no serious injuries. The former was initially not
identified but the New York Daily News reports that LaBeouf’s passenger was
Isabel Lucas, his co-star in “Transformers 2.”
The actress returned on the set Monday, while Shia LaBeouf
will need another 30 days to recover before he resumes filming. A source told the
Daily News that production would continue and that the movie’s June 2009
release date remains “firm.”
Shia LaBeouf’s mother, Shayna LaBeouf, who visited her son
Monday, told the same paper that her actor was “doing fine” and was “in good
spirits.”
Since injuries sustained by Isabel Lucas and the driver of
the other car were minor, the Los
Angeles County
sheriff’s department charged LaBeouf with misdemeanor DUI instead of felony
drunken driving.
This is not the first time LaBeouf has been arrested in a
drinking-related incident. Last November, the actor was charged with
misdemeanor criminal trespassing after refusing to exit a Walgreens in downtown
Chicago,
despite a bodyguard’s repeated pleas.
When LaBeouf refused to leave, the security guard detained
him and contacted Near North District police, who took him into custody.
Arresting police officers said at the time that the actor was “very courteous
and polite.”
The charge was later dropped since the store refused to
pursue the matter.
In February, Shia LaBeouf was cited for smoking in an
inappropriate place in Burbank
but this charge too was dismissed.
Controversy has started to stick to Shia LaBeouf, as befits
any Hollywood star, including a
misunderstanding last month, when a video was posted on YouTube showing him use
a homophobic slur.
The actor explained that the video was several years old and
that he was “very embarrassed” that it had become public. He appeared quite drunk
in the clip.
Success has also stuck to him though. In recent years, he
has starred in successive box office hits: “Constantine” (2005), “Disturbia”
(2007), “Transformers” (2007) and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull” this year.
He next appears in the DreamWorks drama “Eagle Eye,”
opposite Michelle Monaghan, “New York, I Love You,” a collective work of twelve
short films inspired by “Paris, Je T’Aime,” and of course the “Transformers”
sequel.
