Those evil paparazzi. Who do they think they are, chasing celebrities around all the time and endangering their lives?
Look at poor Lindsay Lohan. She wrecked her car the other day while trying to outrun a battalion of snappers desperate for her picture. Bad snappers!
Only, that’s not the case according to the sheriff’s investigation. The official line is that the paparazzi played no part in the shunt.
On a day whirling with rumours about the Jessica Simpson divorce and
the Katie Holmes immaculate conception, Lindsay Lohan (CDs) has done well to
stay in the headlines – even if she did need to drive her car into a
van really fast to get there.
Of course, what with Arnold Schwarzenegger signing a bill earlier
this week imposing stricter penalties on paparazzi who assault
celebrities, they were always going to be the first to take the blame.
Earlier in the day, Lohan had been followed around by a pack of
snappers as she shopped, so it was thought that they also caused the
car accident. Leslie Sloane, Lindsay’s publicist said at the time that:
"This is another example of the paparazzi endangering citizens, both Ms. Lohan and the other driver in the collision."
However,
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Gage has revealed that the
paparazzi "was not a factor. It didn’t cause the accident." He added
that the case may be "a civil matter."
There are several conflicting accounts of what the investigation has
thrown up, but Raymundo Ortega – the driver of the van that Lohan hit –
looks likely to take the blame, as he made an illegal U-turn in front
of her. Not that he’s going along with that account. He gave the
following genius quote to Access Hollywood:
"I didn’t
know it was her, I didn’t recognise
her. All I knew was that she was driving really fast. I
mean, she had to be going at least 75 miles an hour. All she needed was
wings for the car to fly. I imagine if I had hit someone, I am going to
ask them right away if the other person is OK. But she did not do that
with me."
Read more:
Paparazzi ruled out in Lindsay Lohan crash – MSNBC
[story by Stuart Heritage]