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Hollywood actor Garrett Hedlund has been sued for negligence by a mother-daughter duo who claim that he was responsible for a January 2020 car crash in Los Angeles.
In court documents filed on Jan. 21 and obtained by E! News, Marina Venegas and her daughter, Jennifer Castillo, are suing the 37-year-old actor for negligence, alleging that he was responsible for a head-on collision in Los Angeles on January 24, 2020. According to the suit, Hedlund allegedly "passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle and ran a solid red-light at a high rate of speed," colliding with a Nissan Sentra containing Venegas, Castillo and two minor children. As a result of the crash, Venegas and Castillo, as well as the other two passengers, suffered "severe and permanent injuries" and had to be taken to the emergency room, the document states. Venegas and Castillo claim Hedlund "knew he was drinking to the point of severe intoxication before getting behind the wheel of his Jeep, a large and heavy Sport Utility Vehicle." The lawsuit read, "He also knew that it was illegal to drive while intoxicated. He also knew that if he were to drive his SUV while under the influence of alcohol, it was probable that he would lose control of the SUV and cause a collision with another motorist or pedestrian. Despite this actual knowledge, Hedlund purposely drank excessively with the specific intention of getting drunk." The women allege that the 'Triple Frontier' star was "well past the legal limit of .08 per cent blood alcohol concentration" and "could have taken a taxi or called a ride-share, but refused to do so." "Despite knowing he was unfit to drive, Hedlund started his SUV and began driving down a busy street on a busy Friday night during the time when roads were still crowded and traffic was moderate. Asif the excessive drunkenness and speeding were not enough, Hedlund also began weaving in and out of his lane, speeding and passing vehicles," the lawsuit states. They said Hedlund ran a solid red light that had been red for several seconds at approximately 50 mph, causing a "horrible head-on crash." Hedlund was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in the incident, according to the suit. The suit alleges, "Hedlund attempted to leave the scene of the accident without rendering aid to Plaintiffs. But he was so intoxicated he could not get away." The mother-daughter duo stated, "Hedlund had red, bloodshot, and watery eyes with extremely slurred speech and coordination and was so drunk that he was unresponsive to the police and witnesses; Hedlund was so inebriated he was unable to walk and was forced to sit in the Jeep, and Hedlund had finished drinking minutes prior to the accident." As per People magazine, he was released on bail after the January 24 arrest. The 'Tron: Legacy' alum was arraigned in February 2020, where a judge ordered that he seek counselling, according to court records obtained by E! News. Hedlund pleaded no contest to one count of DUI and was found guilty, while a second DUI charge was dismissed. "When the incident occurred, Garrett immediately sought treatment which was successful. Today, he is in a solid and great place," his rep confirmed to E! News in November 2020. A source also told the outlet that Hedlund, who shares 12-month-old son Rhodes with actor Emma Roberts, was "doing well" following his run-in with the police. The insider said that the DUI arrest "wasn't something that actually threatened a split between" Hedlund and Roberts. In their lawsuit against Hedlund, Venegas and Castillo are seeking punitive damages. (ANI)
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