CLEARWATER -- Nick Bollea, son of wrestler Hulk Hogan, turned himself in today to Clearwater Police to face charges of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury for a crash that severely injured his passenger back in August.
The Clearwater Police Department completed an extensive investigation into the cause of the August 26th wreck and concluded that Bollea was operating his Toyota Supra recklessly at the time of the crash and caused serious bodily injury to John Graziano.
Graziano, was not wearing a seat belt and was critically injured in the wreck. He remains hospitalized, is incapacitated and will require life long care, according to attorneys for his family.
Bollea, who was wearing a seat belt, was not seriously injured.
Police also confirmed today that Bollea was racing another driver before he crashed. That driver, Daniel Jacobs, is being issued a summons to appear in court for Reckless Driving.
Bollea arrived at the Pinellas County Jail handcuffed and escorted by officers. Clearwater police said he posted $10,000 bond and he was later seen leaving with his famous father and his mother, Linda. None of them spoke to reporters.
Both a spokesman for Hogan's family and his lawyers -- Morris "Sandy" Weinberg Jr. and Kevin Hayslett -- issued statements Wednesday, saying the family was "saddened" that criminal charges have been filed.
"Because Nick is still a juvenile and has no prior criminal record, we are disappointed that he is being charged as an adult offender," spokesman Adam Handelsman said in a statement. "However, we are confident that the evidence will demonstrate that this was an accident."
The statement questioned reports that Bollea's driving at a high speed was the cause of the crash, saying "preliminary reports from the experts indicate that this was not, in fact, a high-speed accident."
Besides the reckless driving charge, authorities cited Bollea for using a motor vehicle in commission of a felony, being a driver under 21 operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol level of .02 percent or higher and having illegal window tinting.
Graziano, a Dunedin High School graduate and U.S. Marine who served in Iraq, suffered a broken skull and has been comatose since the crash, according to medical professionals who examined him and submitted reports on his condition to court.
Stay Tuned to ABC Action News and ABCActionNews.com where we will have an exclusive interview with the Bollea family later tonight.
