14 DAY TRIAL // British singer George Michael is again involved in some kind of trouble behind the wheel after smashing his car in the rear end of the 7-ton lorry shortly after midnight last night. The star was apparently under the influence of alcohol or drugs, reports cited by Sky News say, and was taken into police custody after the crash. Five hours later, he was released without charges.
Michael’s publicist has thrashed reports of an arrest as “rubbish,” but eyewitnesses are stepping up to speak of the whole thing, saying that the singer seemed highly intoxicated when he rear-ended the lorry. According to the driver of the vehicle himself, Laurie Rowe, it’s a wonder he even made it out alive, that strong was the force of the impact.
Moreover, Rowe says, the star made several attempts to convince him not to call the police to report the crash, saying he would be sent to jail – and thus completely disregarding the serious damage done to his car. At one point, Rowe tells the British media, Michael even attempted to get inside the cabin of the lorry to drive away from the scene before police arrived.
“He seemed completely disorientated, like he had no idea what was going on. He looked totally dazed and even tried to climb into the cab of my lorry. He kept saying he was worried he would go to jail. He hit me so hard that it knocked my rear axle two feet up in the air. When I stopped the lorry and got out to see what had happened, I didn’t think he would have survived.” Rowe tells the British media, as quoted by Sky News.
Police performed a field sobriety test on George Michael and then took him down to the station. He was held for about five hours and, surprisingly enough, released afterwards without charges being brought against him, the aforementioned news outlet informs. The supposed arrest took place just two months after the singer completed a 2-year driving ban, after being found slumped behind the wheel of his Mercedes at a red light stop.