It’s up to prosecutors now.
Authorities in Los Angeles have determined that actress Halle Berry was the driver in an alleged hit-and-run crash that left two people — including the 33-year-old star — injured. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department forwarded the case to prosecutors to pursue possible charges.
Halle Berry Berry, meanwhile, has issued a statement through her rep saying she was “taking this situation very seriously.”
Good thing. The sheriff’s department filing alleges Berry was behind the wheel of a rented Chevrolet Blazer that collided with another vehicle at about 2 a.m. on Feb. 23 at Sunset Boulevard and Doheny Drive in West Hollywood, according to Deputy Carlos Lopez. It was not known how long after the crash Berry allegedly fled the scene.
What is known is this: The female driver of the second car suffered a broken wrist, and Berry got a gash on the forehead that required 15 to 20 stitches. The wrist was tended to at a nearby hospital, and Berry “sought her own medical treatment,” the sheriff’s department said.
“[Berry] is particularly concerned by reports that she might not have been the only person injured in the accident,” a statement from the actress’s camp says. “… If anyone else was hurt in the accident, she is deeply sorry and hopes they make a speedy and full recovery.”
There was no evidence that drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident, authorities said. As of Tuesday, Berry‘s people said they had not seen any of the investigative reports regarding the crash.
Because Berry is not in custody, a final call on the case by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office could come down “anywhere from five minutes to a year,” rep Sandi Gibbons said today.
In January, Berry won a Golden Globe for the HBO biopic “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,” about the pioneering Oscar-nominated black singer/actress whose once-bright career ended in near-obscurity and death at age 36 in 1965. Berry and Dandridge were born in the same Cleveland hospital — albeit 44 years apart.
Berry, the ex-wife of baseball slugger David Justice, is engaged to R&B singer Eric Benet.
