Car Crashes

World Rally Championship driver Craig Breen was tragically killed on Thursday after crashing during a practice drive for an upcoming rally, his team announced. He was just 33 years old.

FIA confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement ... saying Breen passed away "during a private testing accident" in Croatia.

"Our thoughts & prayers are with his loved ones & the Rally community at this difficult time," FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.

According to Hyundai Motorsport, Breen -- who was with co-driver James Fulton -- was practicing for the upcoming Croatia Rally when their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car went off the road.

The car reportedly hit a pole and Breen died from his injuries. Fulton was unharmed.

The Irish driver began his racing career in 1999 with karting in Ireland ... before he made a switch to rallying in 2009. Breen competed in 81 rallies, and during his career, he became the champion of WRC Academy in 2011, and the 2012 WRC Super 2000 world rally champion as well.

Breen has a total of 30 stage wins and recently placed 2nd at Rally Sweden in February.

His father, Ray, was an Irish rally national champion.

Unfortunately, this tragedy is almost 11 years after Breen's co-driver and best friend, Gareth Roberts, died when they crashed in the Targa Florio rally in 2012. Gareth was only 24.

An offspring of Pablo Escobar's famed "cocaine hippos" from the 1980s was killed in Colombia ... after getting struck by a car.

The accident went down Tuesday on a highway near Medellín -- not too far from the late drug lord's massive estate, which has since been turned into a tourist hot spot, complete with a zoo and other attractions ... and from where this animal presumably escaped.

Based on reports, it sounds like the driver was cruising along at night, and ran smack dab into the massive beast. The hippo's dead body was laid out on the street in the aftermath ... it's no easy task to remove an animal that size. Amazingly, the driver was unharmed.

Here's a little history for you to help make sense of this. For starters, hippos are not native to South America, but because Pablo smuggled 4 hippos into the country way back when ... they can actually be found on the continent now, especially in Colombia.

The OG hippos (one male and 3 females) have since died, but their many children and grandchildren live on -- apparently, there are now about 150 hippos in and around that area, all courtesy of Pablo's decision.

With so many of them now in the area, these freak accidents are actually somewhat of a regular occurrence in Colombia. There was another crash in December, and the hippo roadkill is creating a national conversation about what the hell to do with the carcasses.

NFL draft prospect Michael Jefferson -- widely considered one of the 30 best receivers in the 2023 class -- was involved in a fatal car crash on Sunday night ... one that reportedly left him with significant injuries.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officials tell TMZ Sports ... the accident occurred on U.S. 43 in Mobile County, Ala. at around 7:55 PM -- when a 55-year-old man who was driving a 2014 Dodge Charger collided head-on with Jefferson's 2019 Chevrolet Impala.

Authorities say following the initial collision, a 2008 Nissan Maxima also struck the Dodge. The driver of the Dodge, officials tell us, was not wearing a seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jefferson's agent, Jon Perzley of Sportstars, told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday his client was injured in the wreck ... and "required multiple surgeries."

It's not clear yet how it will impact the 23-year-old's football career.

ALEA officials, meanwhile, tell us troopers are still investigating the accident.

Jefferson, who began his college career at Alabama State, was a star Louisiana last season -- logging 51 catches for 810 yards and seven TDs. He showed up to the NFL's combine in Indianapolis last month and performed well, running a 4.56 40-yard dash.

Some experts had the 6-foot-3 wideout projected to be a mid-round pick in this month's draft.

A truck carrying a ton of toxic soil out of the train derailment zone in East Palestine tipped over in an accident this week ... but the local EPA says there's nothing to worry about in terms of contamination.

Per law enforcement, a tractor-trailer was heading northbound Monday on SR-165 in Columbiana County -- which encompasses East Palestine -- and for whatever reason ... it was involved in a crash that overturned the vehicle and everything it was carrying.

As it turns out, that load included about 40,000 lbs. of contaminated dirt that was being transferred away from the train derailment crash site ... and the Ohio State Highway Patrol estimates that about 20,000 pounds of that spilled into onto the roadway.

It's unclear what caused the truck to run into trouble ... but first responders arrived on the scene to contain the situation. The Ohio EPA says there is no threat to nearby waterways as a result of the tipping. The driver is said to have suffered minor injuries.

It's not great news considering the community there is still reeling from the horrific crash from back in February -- not to mention the local government's decision to do a controlled burn of the chemicals onboard, which have reportedly affected a lot of people on the ground.

Cole Pensick -- a former offensive lineman for the Nebraska Huskers -- died in an early morning car accident in Nebraska on Saturday ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

He was 32.

Nebraska football commented on the tragic news ... "Mourning the loss of one of our own. On behalf of the Nebraska Football program, our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends & teammates of former Husker lineman Cole Pensick."

The Polk County Sherriff's Office tells us they responded to a call at 6:42 AM after receiving a report for a pickup truck that was off the roadway and in between trees.

Once they arrived, cops found Pensick, who had been driving a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado, deceased at the scene. Police say he was involved in a single-vehicle accident after failing to stop at a stop sign, and leaving the road.

Law enforcement tells us Cole was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, but added they're still investigating the accident.

Pensick was a standout at Nebraska ... he played in 13 games his senior year (starting 12) and was selected to the All-Big Ten second team by coaches around the league in 2013.

Roger Clemens' 34-year-old son, Kory, has been arrested again for DWI, TMZ Sports has learned ... and the allegations against the MLB legend's kid are scary.

According to court documents, Kory was busted by the Houston Police Dept. in Texas at 2:22 AM on April 7 following a car accident.

In the docs, prosecutors allege Clemens struck another vehicle, which caused "heavy" front-end damage. They also say Kory was throwing up at the scene and was "unsteady on his feet." They added in the documents that he reeked of booze, had bloodshot eyes and slurred his speech ... and stumbled when he walked.

Court documents show he was booked into a Harris County jail ... before he was released after posting bond.

It's the second time in the last four years that Kory has been accused of DWI -- back in May 2019, he was also arrested in Houston after cops said he showed signs of intoxication during a traffic stop at 2:05 AM. The case was ultimately dismissed in 2020 after he entered into a pretrial diversion program.

Kory is one of four of Clemens' sons, who all have names starting with the letter "K" ... as a nod to the former Houston Astros pitcher's propensity to rack up strikeouts while on the mound.

Britt Reid appeared to be fully aware of his surroundings following his 2021 car crash ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows he asked cops about the status of the little girl hurt in the wreck -- while also complaining of a stomach injury he suffered in the accident.

The footage was captured on a Kansas City Police Dept. dash camera at around 9:30 PM on Feb. 4, 2021 ... just moments after Reid slammed his pickup truck into the back of a stopped car on a freeway near the Chiefs' practice facility in K.C.

You can see in the video, Reid -- who at the time was an assistant coach on his dad Andy Reid's Chiefs staff -- seemed to be walking and talking to an officer without issue.

Wearing a Chiefs COVID mask and a Chiefs sweatshirt, Britt obeyed all of a cop's commands ... even informing the officer he had consumed an Adderall-like medication roughly 13 hours before the wreck.

At one point, Britt appeared to experience some discomfort ... and after pulling up his shirt to examine his stomach, he calmly told an officer, "My front is starting to swell up a little." He ultimately asked to be checked out by medical personnel.

While waiting for an ambulance to arrive, Britt was informed that he'd be taken to a local medical facility. He then attempted to pull out his phone to inform someone of the news -- but a cop told him, "We can't be on the phone right now, OK?"

Britt responded, "My dad is sitting right there." The cop then told him he still couldn't be on the device, and Britt complied.

It's not clear if Britt meant Andy was at the scene -- a spokesperson for the KCPD told us on Wednesday they were not aware if the K.C. head coach was there.

As Britt and officers continued to wait for medics to arrive, the football coach could be heard in the video inquiring about 5-year-old Ariel Young, who suffered serious brain injuries in the crash.

"Any word on that little girl?" he asked.

"I have not heard anything, sir," the cop said.

Moments later, Britt appeared to pull something from his mouth and throw it onto the ground. He then spit several times.

An ambulance eventually came, and Britt got in it. Officials later said he required emergency groin surgery for his injury.

Days after the crash, authorities said in court documents Britt had a BAC of .113 moments after the wreck, well above the .08 legal limit. They also said they were able to determine he was going 82.6 MPH in a 65 MPH zone just seconds before the crash, and had reached 83.9 MPH at the time of impact.

Britt, who lost his job with the Chiefs in the days following the crash, was ultimately charged with felony DWI in the case.

He pled guilty to the count in September 2022 and was sentenced to three years in prison two months later.

At the sentencing hearing, Britt said he was sorry for his actions ... telling the courtroom, "Every time I see my daughter, I think about Ariel and how my decision affected her so deeply and her family."

Famed sneaker artist Kreative Customs -- designer of custom kicks for star athletes like Cam Newton -- was in a horrific motorcycle accident, and may never be able to walk again, according to his business partner and friend Dez Customz.

Dez, a fellow top sneaker/cleat artist, shared the terrible news Sunday evening, posting a photo of Mohammed Gafar in the hospital, saying he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident on March 26 and "faces a very difficult and long road ahead."

"The prognosis for him being able to walk again is not good. But if anyone has the will and stubbornness to prove them wrong it’s Moe."

Dez -- whose client list includes Joel Embiid -- provided another update Monday, saying Moe was awake and talking after having back surgery.

"The situation to be honest is plain and simple -- there's very little opportunity that he will walk again. That's the truth," Dez said.

"His arms, hands, upper body, neck everything is intact. No damage to the head."

Fans and artists from all over penned encouraging messages to Moe, including Mache who shared an emotional IG post ... saying his heart dropped when he got the news.

"Thoughts and prayers are great but Moe needs way more than that," the famous artist said.

"As a fellow artist and entrepreneur there’s probably no insurance or $401k to tap into to cover the amount of medical bills that are going to face him and his family as he battles in the hospital."

A GoFundMe has been started to help Moe and his family pay medical bills.

"It’s going to be a long hard fight but I know Moe, he will prevail," Mache said "Let’s help him and his family out."

Moe has been in the sneaker art business for years and shared some of his work with us, from Cam Newton's custom dabbing cleats to designing Ricky Jean-Francois's $6K Nike Marty McFly kicks.

A dramatic and possibly deadly end to a wild police chase just unfolded outside Los Angeles, as a suspect driving a stolen police cruiser jumped from the vehicle as it was still moving.

The whole thing was broadcast live on FOX 11 as officers from the California Highway Patrol raced at high speeds to keep up with the suspect. The man weaved in between lanes of traffic on CA 138 toward Lancaster, and at times could be seen rummaging through the inside of the cop car.

Then, in a stunning move, and while the vehicle was still traveling at an extremely high speed, the suspect opened the driver's side door and jumped out of the vehicle.

The suspect hit his head and was immediately knocked unconscious. From there, the stolen police cruiser continued until it slammed into an electric pole.

Officers immediately pulled the man out of the road, got him in handcuffs and began to check his condition. He was clearly in bad shape because they started CPR immediately.

The suspect's current condition is not clear.

"Moonshiners" star Josh Owens is opening up about a very scary motorcycle crash that left him in pieces ... saying he suffered a broken neck, back, arm and legs.

Josh posted a video Monday from his hospital bed ... updating his followers for the first time on his condition after his severely violent accident earlier this month.

JO only showed off one of his wounds, but it's pretty insane ... he turned the camera on his leg, which had about 50 staples and a huge scar.

Gory as hell, for sure ... and Josh admitted he's hanging on by a thread, but he's also confident he'll bounce back.

Josh crashed on March 4, while taking part in a motorcycle race at Florida's Daytona International Speedway.

Shortly after, his "Moonshiners" co-star Richard Landry said he'd talked to some people who talked to family members ... who said Josh was doing okay, but was not out of the woods yet. One of Josh's friends started a GoFundMe to help cover what's sure to be a hefty hospital bill, as Josh doesn't have health insurance ... according to his friend.

Despite all that, he's staying remarkably positive.

In the video update, Josh says it's only by the grace of God he survived the wreck, and adds ... "I'm still here and I love ya'll."

Sometimes L.A. freeways look like action movie scenes, but this car flying several feet into the air and flipping over after a tire popped off a truck ... is painfully real, and crazy!!!

Dashcam video captured by Anoop Khatra's Tesla shows the entire accident go down on L.A.'s Ronald Reagan Freeway -- as you can see, the Kia Soul was passing a pickup truck last week ... when the truck's left front tire just comes loose.

Vehicles losing tires ... not that uncommon, but what happens next is -- the loose tire slams into the front of the passing Kia and absolutely launches it into the air!!!

The Kia does a flip mid-air, before landing.

And, just when the chaos seems to be ending ... the same rogue tire slams into the back of the Kia. Got it coming and going!

Meanwhile, the pickup truck driver managed to anxiously exit off the freeway ... on just 3 wheels. Astoundingly, the CHP says there were no major injuries.

Dick Van Dyke showed off his battle wounds Friday after his recent car accident, claiming the airbags didn’t deploy during the crash.

The beloved “Mary Poppins” icon, 97, was spotted out and about with his wife, 51-year-old Arlene Silver, and a younger pal.

Van Dyke pointed out two stitches in his chin after his car accident last week ... “I’m fine — just sore all over” ... assuring people he was doing “pretty good.”

“The airbags did not deploy, so I just had a face plant right in the steering wheel and it just made me a little dumber,” he quipped, with his infamous grin.

He brushed off the concerns about his well-being, saying he’s doing relatively ok ... “I’m 97 — all my friends are dead.”

The famed actor crashed his silver Lexus earlier this Month into a gate in Malibu while driving in wet conditions, apparently losing control of the wheel.

Photos from the accident show Van Dyke with blood on his mouth and nose, and paramedics treated him at the scene for his injuries and a possible concussion.

Officers don’t believe alcohol or drugs were involved in the slippery crash, but they reportedly requested that the actor retake his driving exam with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Just a few months prior, the “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star was seen lamenting the Golden State’s drought, wishing for a wet spell, while visiting one of his favorite nonprofit organizations in October 2022.

“Is it ever going to rain?” he asked at the time when he was spotted driving the same vehicle involved in this month’s unfortunate crash.

A decade ago, Van Dyke was involved in a more serious car accident — that time, his vehicle burst into flames. Dick was driving on a California highway when he noticed smoke coming from the hood of his Jaguar.

Promptly pulling over to the side of the road, a hero bystander rushed to the star’s rescue and pulled him from the car just before it burst into flames.

The inferno torched the luxe car, but Van Dyke luckily escaped without a scratch.

The sous chef son of actor Dylan Walsh cooked up a wild water rescue for people at a Maryland tourist site after a car plunged into the harbor ... and the drama was all caught on video.

Thomas Walsh left a meeting with his boss at Phillips Seafood on Wednesday afternoon when he came across a group of people freaked out about what they had just seen -- a car had careened into the water at Baltimore's Inner Harbor and the driver was stuck inside.

Well, that's all Tom had to see as he dove into the water to save the motorist as The Baltimore Banner reported.

Check out the footage, posted Wednesday on Instagram, showing Tom punching the passenger side window of the car and kicking in the windshield. Tom pulled the driver out through the windshield and swam with him to the edge of the pier. Tom then hoisted the man into the waiting arms of people on the pier before he, too, was helped to safety.

Emergency Service personnel later fished the car out of the water with the help of a tow truck.

Police said Tom and the driver were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The motorist, according to cops, was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of the accident.

Dick Van Dyke got into a car crash in Malibu ... though he managed to avoid serious injury.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police responded to a call of a single-car accident last Wednesday morning, and when deputies arrived they found Dick behind the wheel of a 2018 Lexus LS 500 which he'd crashed into a gate.

Our sources say the 97-year-old film and TV legend told cops his car slid and he lost control before slamming into the gate. The streets were wet from the nonstop rain L.A.'s been getting.

As for Dick's injuries ... we're told he was bleeding from the nose and mouth and might have suffered a concussion. Paramedics treated him at the scene, and he had no interest in going to a hospital.

Dick's taken a beating onscreen during his seven decades in Hollywood ... so we're guessing a few minor bumps and bruises don't faze him much.

Our sources say drugs and alcohol were NOT involved ... though cops have submitted paperwork to the DMV requesting a driving retest for Dick, with one of the factors being his age.

A deadly car wreck captured on video looked like a wild scene straight out of a Hollywood movie, but the scary thing was ... it was all real.

Check out the insane footage showing a driver barreling through an NYC intersection and crashing into another vehicle. Two people were killed and five others were injured.

Police say Vitaliy Konoplyov was in a Toyota Camry cruising through a traffic light at the Brooklyn intersection on Monday afternoon, when he T-boned a Honda crossing in front of him in the opposite direction. It was not clear who had the right of way.

The impact from the collision sent the Toyota spiraling onto the sidewalk as people ran for cover. The Honda spun around in the street as shrapnel was flying everywhere.

The NYPD says both vehicles also hit a pedestrian and the Toyota struck an occupied Chevrolet Equinox.

Cops say the Honda driver and pedestrian died at a local hospital.

A passenger in the Honda was in critical condition at the hospital. The Equinox driver was in stable condition.

Konoplyov and his two passengers were also injured, but all were expected to survive.

MTV's "The Challenge" star Nelson Thomas' GoFundMe is getting some serious support after his car crash, and some of the donations are coming from fellow reality stars.

The charity campaign quickly picked up steam after going live earlier this week -- and reality TV fans will definitely recognize some of the names chipping in with funds. Nurys Mateo and Tori Deal, who both starred on "The Challenge," dropped $1K each ... while Mark Long and Corey Lay from the series also ante'd up donations.

Outside of Nelson's 'Challenge' crew ... Nicholas Maccarone from "Big Brother" chipped in $250, "Wild 'N Out" star Justina Valentine gave $500, as did Maria Menounos.

Zak Longo from MTV's "Are You the One?" gave $5K ... moving the campaign closer to its $200k goal.

As we reported, Nelson was injured in a fiery crash in Austin, TX earlier this month. Minnesota Vikings receiver K.J. Osborn and a few others were able to rescue him from the wreckage.

Nelson ended up in pretty bad shape -- he showed some of his cuts and burns from his hospital bed, saying he's doing better but has a ways to go.