Car Crashes

Dallas Cowboys rookie Sam Williams is clearly very fortunate to have walked away from Thursday's car crash unscathed ... because new video from the accident's aftermath shows his Corvette was severely mangled in the collision.

Williams was involved in the wreck at around 2:15 PM in Plano, Texas, according to cops, after his black sportscar struck another vehicle that had attempted to turn in front of oncoming traffic.

Video obtained by FOX 4 shortly after the crash shows Williams' ride was hit so hard, it completely lost its front wheel. It also had significant damage to both its front and rear driver's side fenders.

Somehow, however, Williams was not seriously injured in the accident. Cops say he and the driver of the other car were transported to the hospital, though it was solely "for precautionary reasons."

Williams told Cowboys nation in a tweet on Thursday night he was "okay" and "so is the other person that was involved." He added prayer and heart emojis.

Cops say they're still investigating the accident, but do not suspect alcohol or drugs were involved.

As for his availability in Saturday's key game against the Eagles, the Cowboys have not yet ruled the pass-rusher out for the contest.

Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive end Sam Williams was involved in a car accident in Texas on Thursday ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to the Plano Police Dept. ... the 23-year-old football player was traveling in a black Corvette in Plano -- a quick drive from the team facility in Frisco -- at around 2:15 p.m., when he struck another vehicle that had attempted a turn in front of oncoming traffic.

Williams and the other driver were not seriously injured, cops say, but both parties were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Cops say there's no indication drugs or alcohol contributed to the crash. An investigation is ongoing.

The second-round pick has made a big contribution on the field for Dallas this season ... and has made several big plays for the Cowboys in recent weeks, including a fumble recovery against the Indianapolis Colts.

Williams has 19 total tackles and three sacks in 13 appearances for the Cowboys this season.

Actress Charlbi Dean died of a bacterial infection and other complications ... it was announced 4 months after her sudden passing.

The NYC medical examiner released Dean's cause of death Wednesday night, using the more official term, "Bacterial (Capnocytophaga) Sepsis."

According to the Center For Disease Control, Capnocytophaga is a bacteria spread to people in close contact with dogs and cats, or bitten by the animals. It can cause infections in those with weakened immune systems. Sepsis is the body's extreme response to an infection, which, if not rapidly treated, can lead to organ failure and death. People was first to report on the cause.

The M.E. tells TMZ ... Dean's death, which was ruled an accident, was complicated by the absence of her spleen, making her more susceptible to the bacterial infection. Fox News reported Dean was involved in a 2009 car crash, leading to the removal of her spleen.

As we reported ... Dean passed away in an NYC hospital after she unexpectedly fell ill back in August. She was only 32 and her career was beginning to take off.

Dean scored a lead role, starring alongside Woody Harrelson in the recently released film, "Triangle of Sadness," which received top honors at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the coveted Palme d'Or award.

A Tennessee State University staffer was arrested earlier this month ... after she allegedly rammed her vehicle into a Tigers player's car in a fit of jealous rage.

According to court records, Devon Starling -- a TSU junior running back -- called police at 2:30 AM on Dec. 3 in Davidson County, TN after he said he saw his "ex-'fling'" Ariel Escobar, the Tigers' director of football operations and on-campus recruiting, in her car outside of his apartment as he was arriving home with his girlfriend.

The football player -- who logged 540 rushing yards and 2 total touchdowns this season -- claims he told Escobar to leave, but she refused. Police said in the documents that Starling then proceeded to drive around with his girlfriend while waiting for the cops to arrive.

According to the docs, Starling said that after pulling into a parking lot, Escobar followed him ... and then blocked him into a spot. The Tigers tailback alleged she then rammed her vehicle into his car while he and his girlfriend were still in it.

In the docs, Starling said Escobar actually backed up and hit his car a second time ... before pulling off. He claimed his car had minor damage.

According to the docs, Escobar later showed back up at his apartment ... where she was arrested. Police say she told them she did block them in with her car and said she wanted Starling to confess to his girlfriend that he had "had a sexual relationship" with her the day before.

Cops say the 22-year-old also admitted to throwing ketchup and scratching Starling's apartment door as well.

Court records show Escobar has been charged with 2 felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon ... and one count of misdemeanor vandalism. She's scheduled to appear in court in January.

Escobar is in her 2nd year as TSU's director of football operations and on-campus recruiting. We've reached out to the school for an update on her status with the program, but so far, no word back yet.

Jay Leno's miraculous return to comedy -- just 2 weeks after getting severely burned -- is officially a smash hit ... just ask the cops whose car he clipped!

It's the kinda Murphy's Law moment ya just have to laugh off, and Jay did, but Sunday night, as he pulled up to the Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, CA ... he really did graze a cop car's tire with his Tesla.

Jay arrived with his wife, Mavis, and everyone -- HBPD included -- got past the near-fender bender quickly, and the comedian immediately made it clear he's ready and willing to joke about the garage fire.

Check out the video ... Jay dropped 2 or 3 one-liners at his own expense on his way into the club.

TMZ broke the story ... Leno was working on one of his vintage cars in his garage when the fuel line burst on him, and about half of Jay's upper body -- including his face -- caught on fire.

After suffering 2nd and 3rd-degree burns on his face, neck, arm and hands ... he went to the Grossman Burn Center, where he underwent skin grafts and got treatment in a hyperbaric chamber.

Just a few days after the accident, Jay told us he'd be back doing standup within a couple of weeks.

Very few people thought was realistic, but Sunday night he proved all the doubters wrong.

BTW, Jay's been doing Sunday nights at this club for decades, and it quickly sold out when he announced he'd be returning. Appropriately, there was a ton of media outlets outside, waiting to see his astounding comeback.

Grayson Chrisley from "Chrisley Knows Best" totaled his car when he rear-ended another truck on the interstate ... and he suffered injuries bad enough to send him to a hospital.

Police in Tennessee say Grayson was driving his Ford F-150 on I-65 in Nashville last Saturday around 5:30 PM when he drove into the back of a Dodge pickup truck that was stopped in heavy standstill traffic.

Cops say officers at the scene asked Grayson what happened. Todd and Julie Chrisley's son could not recall anything about the accident, possibly due to a potential head injury. He was rushed by ambulance to a hospital.

TMZ obtained photos of Grayson's truck after the incident ... and the bumper is mangled, the hood is cracked and the windshield shattered.

Cops say the driver of the truck Grayson rear-ended suffered injuries as well, but refused medical attention. We're told both vehicles were towed from the scene.

Police say there have been no arrests, charges or citations handed out.

Grayson's incident is another tough blow for the reality TV family ... as we reported, his parents were found guilty in June of bank fraud and tax evasion. Todd and Julie are awaiting sentencing and are facing up to 30 years in federal prison.

Andy Warhol is long gone, but his artwork lives on ... and is still selling for INSANE amounts of money!!

Case in point ... the iconic artist created a series of 1963 ink and graphite canvas prints depicting a horrible car accident, which just sold for a WHOPPING $85 million.

You heard it right. Sotheby's in New York put the collage of images dubbed "White Disaster (White Car Crash 19 Times)" on the auction block Wednesday night.

Within minutes, two buyers were throwing out HUGE bids -- $74 million and $85.4 million -- to try to snag the morbid masterpiece. We already know who emerged victorious, but the buyer's name was kept under wraps.

As part of Warhol's "Death and Disaster" series, "White Disaster" depicts a single black and white image of a crashed car 19 times on a 12-foot-tall canvas.

What's even crazier ... in 2013, another Warhol piece from the same series fetched $105 million, setting a record for the pop culture legend, best known for his portraits of Marilyn Monroe.

Anne Heche's fiery car crash into a Los Angeles home almost killed the woman who lived there with her pets, and now they don't have a home ... according to a new lawsuit.

The late actress' estate is being sued over her August car wreck by the woman who lived in the home where Anne crashed her Mini Cooper and ignited a huge blaze.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Lynne Mishele says she was minding her business at home with her pets when suddenly Anne's car came barreling inside, allegedly stopping just a few feet away from the woman, her dogs and her tortoise.

Lynne claims she is still traumatized by the incident -- she says she's startled by loud noises, plagued by nightmares and flashbacks of the crash, terrified of walking outside ... and has no place to live.

In the suit, she claims the house and all of her possessions were completely burned and destroyed as a result of Anne's crash.

She notes Anne was driving erratically before crashing into her home ... remember, Anne also crashed into another home nearby, and also notes a blood analysis showed Anne had cocaine and fentanyl in her system at the time of the crash.

As we reported ... Anne was stuck in her burning car for at least 45 minutes after the crash, and she was transported to a hospital where she later died from smoke inhalation and burn injuries.

Lynne is going after Anne's estate for at least $2 million in damages.

Bad news Giants fans ... star safety Xavier McKinney will be out several weeks after he was injured in an ATV accident in Cabo during the bye week.

The 23-year-old broke the news on Monday morning, saying he flew out to Mexico for the Giants' off days ... but, unfortunately, got hurt while he was on a sightseeing ATV tour.

"I had an accident and injured my hand," he said in a note on Twitter. "The injury will keep me sidelined for a few weeks."

It's a big blow for New York, as McKinney -- who was named a team captain this season -- is a key player on the Big Blue's defense. So far this season, he has 38 total tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble.

"I will do everything I can to get back as quickly as possible so I can contribute to what we're building here in NY," McKinney added.

The Giants are 6-2 coming out of the bye and have several important games coming up, including division matchups with the 6-2 Cowboys and the 8-0 Eagles.

Britt Reid -- Andy Reid's son and a former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach -- has just been sentenced to three years in prison ... over his role in a 2021 car crash.

Britt learned his fate at a hearing inside of a Missouri courtroom on Tuesday afternoon ... a little over one month after he pleaded guilty to felony DWI in the case.

Britt showed up to the proceedings in a grey suit. He addressed the courtroom, according to The Kansas City Star, by apologizing and saying, "Every time I see my daughter, I think about Ariel and how my decision affected her so deeply and her family.”

The mother of Ariel Young, the 5-year-old who suffered serious injuries in the wreck, submitted a victim's impact statement ... which was read in court. It, in part, included the words, "There are 5 of us that Britt Reid's choice to drink and drive hurt."

Britt had been facing a maximum of seven years behind bars. He had petitioned the court in September for nothing more than probation.

As we reported, Britt was accused of drinking back on Feb. 4, 2021, getting behind the wheel of his pickup truck ... and then causing a serious car accident that left Young with life-changing brain injuries.

Authorities say Britt was going 83.9 MPH in a 65 MPH zone just before the wreck, and had a BAC of .113 two hours following the accident.

The 37-year-old was working for the Chiefs at the time, and was slated to coach during the Super Bowl against the Buccaneers just days later on Feb. 7.

But, he did not end up coaching in the contest, and departed from the org. a short time later. He has not been hired by an NFL team since.

Pro golfer Grayson Murray was involved in a bloody scooter accident in Bermuda this week ... which knocked him unconscious and forced him to withdraw from a PGA Tour event.

Murray -- who was set to play in the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship -- was traveling back to his hotel via scooter at around 4 PM when the incident occurred, per VCP Golf.

Murray was turning around a bend in the road when he steered near the center line. Unfortunately for the golfer, a car coming in the opposite direction was also moving near the center, which resulted in the 29-year-old colliding with the front corner of the vehicle -- knocking him off his ride and rolling several feet.

Grayson's caddie, Doug Schwimmer, was traveling behind him on scooter and witnessed the horrific accident ... but could not intervene because he was going too quickly to stop.

Schwimmer experienced road rash after falling off his scooter ... but was not transported to the hospital.

Murray, meanwhile, was left unconscious and needed 50 stitches (25 on his face) to close his wounds ... but did not suffer any broken bones.

While parts of the ordeal remain foggy for Murray, he does remember telling witnesses that his knee was in a lot of pain.

Murray refused to blame anyone for the accident ... saying, "Riding on the opposite side of the road is already confusing, and the roads in Bermuda are narrow and sketchy."

FYI -- Murray and his caddie were riding scooters because tourists in the area are prohibited from renting cars.

"Honestly, I’m pretty fortunate because the helmet saved me," Murray told Golfweek. "If it wasn’t for my knee and stitches in my left hand, I would try to play."

Murray posted a photo on Instagram on Thursday, making the thumbs-up gesture ... and informing everyone that he was heading home.

"Thank you to the PGA tour staff for all the help the last couple days and all the well wishes I got from players/caddies and y'all. Much love."

Netflix's "The Crown" is currently filming its latest season, and it looks like Princess Diana's fatal car crash will be front and center ... because the show's recreating that tragic moment.

Production was underway Thursday in Paris, and rather eerily, they're shooting right around the Pont de l'Alma tunnel ... the fateful location where Diana's driver crashed in 1997 while being tailed by paparazzi.

It looks like the production is retracing the actual route and the scene as it really happened -- they have photographers on motorcycles surrounding the Mercedes-Benz sedan.

As you know, the 36-year-old's death shocked the world ... her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and their driver were also killed in the devastating crash.

FYI -- fans of the show know Diana, currently played by Elizabeth Debicki, was first featured in the show's 4th season, and there was a TON of fan excitement surrounding her introduction to the royal plot.

It's unclear if Diana's death will become the main focus of the upcoming season, but it looks like producers and the director are aiming to recreate the event as accurately as possible.

Leslie Jordan was about to do what he loved, acting and making people laugh, in his final moments -- he was on his way to set when he died behind the wheel ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the late actor tell us Leslie was scheduled to film for "Call Me Kat" Monday morning, but people working on the show became concerned when Leslie hadn't arrived more than an hour after his call time.

From there, our sources say there was a scramble to find Leslie -- and the cast and crew eventually discovered he'd been involved in a car accident.

TMZ broke the story ... Leslie was driving his BMW in Hollywood when investigators believe he suffered some sort of medical emergency, and crashed into the side of a building.

Sources close to the actor tell us he'd been complaining of shortness of breath the last 3 weeks, and was so concerned about the issue he'd actually had an appointment scheduled with a cardiologist.

Sadly, that was supposed to happen sometime in the coming week.

While it's unclear if that appointment would have discovered any underlying health issues for Leslie, investigators' current operating theory is he suffered a heart attack while driving.

Leslie's "Call Me Kat" costar Mayim Bialik posted a sweet tribute to the actor, writing, "They broke the mold when they made Leslie Jordan. He was a dear mentor and a beloved friend. I will miss him so much - it’s unimaginable that he’s gone. Rest well, sweet buddy."

Leslie Jordan was coping with discomfort in the weeks leading up to his death -- a health issue that was concerning enough for him to make an appointment with a cardiologist ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the late actor tell TMZ ... for the last 3 weeks, he was experiencing shortness of breath. We're told Leslie was scheduled to see a cardiologist within the next week to check out his heart, and see if there were any underlying health issues.

Other than that, we're told Leslie was generally healthy ... but did have COVID last year.

We've spoken to law enforcement sources who tell us they believe Leslie suffered a heart attack prior to crashing his BMW Monday into a building in Hollywood.

Tributes have poured in for the 67-year-old since TMZ broke the news of his death, including from Dolly Parton who said, "Leslie and I had a special bond, I think the world felt they had a special bond with him. I know people always say, 'Oh, they will be missed' but in this case that could not be more true."

Kim Plath, star of TLC's "Welcome to Plathville," has been arrested for DUI ... following a gnarly crash a few months back that cops say sent her straight to the hospital.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops arrived at the scene of an accident in Florida In June, finding Kim's vehicle flipped upside down, in a ditch filled with water.

Police say Kim was notably intoxicated after the incident, with the smell of booze coming from her mouth -- the report says she was then taken to a nearby hospital so her injuries could get looked at.

After an initial inspection by cops, Kim was simply charged with careless driving, but investigators got a blood sample, and waited months for the results.

Her lab results came back in September according to the report, revealing she was in fact under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

James Bouknight was unconscious for an hour before cops were finally able to wake up the Charlotte Hornets guard ... but the ordeal didn't end there, 'cause law enforcement says the hooper refused to get out of his Mercedes and even crashed into two squad cars before finally being placed under arrest for DWI.

The details of the arrest are all spelled out in court docs ... and it's clear cops had a helluva time waking up the former UConn star. Police say they tried numerous tactics for about an hour, including using a PA system and an air horn.

Once he finally came to, cops say the 22-year-old refused to get out of his car for several minutes, and instead sat in his driver's seat, eating.

As TMZ Sports previously reported, while asleep, Bouknight had a Glock 23 handgun in his lap. The weapon was visible in a photograph obtained and posted by us.

Police say James moved his car forward, hitting a cop car in front of him, before reversing and hitting another squad car behind him.

Finally, cops say Bouknight complied and exited the car, where he was arrested.

The docs say Bouknight claimed he took four shots of tequila before driving home early Sunday morning. He later took a breathalyzer and blew a .14. The limit in North Carolina is .08.

JB apologized for the arrest on Tuesday, saying ... “Honestly, I just wanted to apologize for being a distraction before the start of the season, for my teammates and for what we’ve got going on.”