Nascar driver Michael Waltrip was recently charged with reckless driving and failure to report an accident after cops located his wrecked SUV and a nearby witness. A state trooper said that he found that the SUV also hit a telephone pole. Michael Waltrip told the police that he fell asleep at the wheel and woke up after his car was flipped over. A nearby witness found the NASCAR driver’s car overturned in a ditch and called 911. The witness, a female college student wishes to remain anonymous due to fear of revenge from Michael Waltrip’s fans.
She stated that no one responded to her shouts. As a result, the witness believed that no one was alive in the car until Waltrip removed himself from the vehicle out of the back window. After standing up, the witness said that Waltrip told her that he was in the car for 10 minutes. She also stated that Waltrip was bleeding, has small cuts on his body and was only wearing socks. The witness stated that she informed the NASCAR driver that the police were on their way.
Then, Waltrip “just turned around and started walking home in his socks”, she said. A representative of Waltrip canceled his recently scheduled interview with Associated Press because he reportedly does not feel well. During an interview with the Charlotte Observer, the NASCAR driver said that he was embarrassed for leaving the scene and alcohol did not contribute to the accident. Waltrip also told the newspaper that he did not go home to avoid anything. Instead, he went there to try to figure out what to do.
NASCAR is scheduled to speak with Waltrip soon in Texas regarding this incident. Waltrip is also scheduled to be in court on May 14th about the misdemeanor charges. The state trooper who found Waltrip’s wrecked vehicle had trouble locating the driver initially. He issued the citation at Waltrip’s home after starting his next shift. This recent car accident is not the only trouble that Michale Waltrip has been involved in the current NASCAR season.
Officials caught Waltrip cheating during the preparations for Daytona 500. As a result, NASCAR cut 100 points from the driver. This outcome is a current record in NASCAR history. Waltrip’s crew chief and competition director was also fined and suspended. Since then, he has not succeeded in qualifying for five NASCAR races. The wrecked vehicle belonging to Waltrip is a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070412/ap_on_sp_au_ra_ne/car_nascar_waltrip_accident;_ylt=AoizFMQjzea3uNGjrzf3QYsR07QF
