Entertainment
Actress Reese Witherspoon Struck by Car While Jogging
- Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:09am by
Tiffany Gabbay
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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (The Blaze/AP) — Actress Reese Witherspoon was struck by a car while jogging near Los Angeles on Wednesday morning and suffered minor injuries.
Santa Monica police Sgt. Richard Lewis says the Oscar-winning actress was hit by a car driven by an 84-year-old woman.
Witherspoon was jogging in an unmarked crosswalk in Santa Monica when the driver struck her at about 20 mph. The 35-year-old actress was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Lewis says the driver was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Witherspoon’s portrayal of June Carter in the 2005 film “Walk the Line” won her a best-actress Oscar.
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Comments (99)
Banned on the Blaze
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 4:18amblah blah blah
Report Post »spikebu
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 4:11amI have lived my entire life just outside of Sun City and worked there all my adult life. These people are not bad drivers. Being 84 does not make you feeble minded. Perhaps the woman was distracted by her cell phone or i-pad. Don’t laugh. I assure you, they are not sitting out here waiting to turn to stone. I like Reese Witherspoon. She’s a fine actress. I’m very glad she is okay. Put your brain into an 84 year old body and you will know what it is to be 84. If you are 25 right now, how different is your brain from when you were 20? When you are 50, your brain will still be the same. You’ll just know more. Unless you develop Alzheimer’s or Senile Dementia, the brain you‘ve got when you’re 20 is still gonna be in your head when you are 84. I know many seniors who will be kicking a$$ and taking names. Age is only a factor when physicality is at play.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 4:34amReally , this is news , worthy of the top headline on the
Report Post »BLAZE ?’really.
loriann12
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 5:50amMaybe the actress was like a lot of joggers and assumed she owned the road and ran out in front of her. I don’t automatically assume 84 means senile. My dad is 79 and still drives great, is shart as a tack.
Report Post »MR_ANDERSON
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 6:03amOne of the few Actresses in Hollywood that has a decent head on their shoulders. I hope everything turns out OK.
Report Post »Texan Man
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 7:22amSun City, Texas in G-town?
Report Post »one years food ration like glenn says
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 7:57amLol…
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 9:44amSorry Spike, but age brings with it things like slowing reflexes and decreased situational awareness. Lots of automobile accidents are caused by elderly behind the wheel. My wife’s grandfather would weave between the two *berms* as he drove down country roads and looked at crops. Even in the city he was an absolute menace and had not the first clue that he was causing people left and right to swerve to avoid him. Age has consequences. We all age, but that doesn’t mean that we get to ignore reality.
Report Post »PureDrumFury
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 11:20amUm, it’s been proven time and again, all over the country, that the overwhelming majority of accidents are caused by either teenagers or elderly drivers. Teens lack the experience and knowledge of spacial relationships, not to mention a general abandon that comes from being young. Elderlies, on the other hand, increasingly lack reflexes and good vision the older they get. Sure, their minds might be as sharp as a pin, but they simply cannot react quickly enough to changing conditions on the road, and it’s a well known fact that vision fails with age. An elderly woman almost killed me on my motorcycle once – she looked RIGHT AT ME, and then proceeded to pull out and almost sandwiched me between her car and another vehicle. I know she didn’t see me, even though I could have sworn I made eye contact with her.
In my opinion, once you hit 65, you should be required to take a physical driving test – behind the wheel – every two years. And at 85, you should have to do it every single year.
Report Post »Stu D. Baker-Hawk
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 11:30amSorry, pal, but you’re just plain wrong. With increased age comes slower reflex time and the ability for your body to react to split-second situations. Your mind might be sharp as a tack, but your body is crap, and when driving, you need BOTH in perfect working order. My belief: At 70 and older, ALL drivers should be tested for behind-the-wheel proficiency AT LEAST every two years. If you can’t pass, you don’t drive. Period.
Report Post »Michael600r
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 11:39amSay that after you’ve been hit by an 80 year old driver.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:07pmWhat is an “unmarked crosswalk” .. if it is UNMARKED how do you know that it is a crosswalk?
Report Post »PeachyinGA
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 3:04pmCATB, and more so, if it was an unmarked crosswalk, why was the driver sited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk?
Report Post »grannyjojo
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 4:03amI pray Ms. Witherspoon is ok. I’m also keeping the elderly lady in my prayers. It was an accident, pure and simple. It sure sounds like this elderly lady should give up driving. We are all going to get to that point, if we live long enough. I don’t want the government in my business, but I certainly see nothing wrong with taking a driving/vision test once a year when you are over 65. Nobody, especially the older folks wants to hurt anyone and I know it can be hard to realize that we have to give up something that helps so much to keep our independence, but I know that if “I” accidentally hit and hurt./killed someone because I shouldn’t be driving anymore it would be very very difficulty for me to go on due to my guilt. God bless all. “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess”
Report Post »sodacrackers2
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 8:41amIf, as you say, it was “an accident, pure and simple,” then why do you suggest she give up driving?
Report Post »SeekerEmerald
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 8:25pm@ sodacrackers2
The fact that it was an accident should have no bearing on wether or not the driver is able to drive. Drunk drivers don’t purposely run over people, but we still take action on them.
If she can’t drive safely (and I am not in a position to know IF that is even the case) then she should NOT be driving.
My grandfather was an extremely dangerous driver, and until he blew a stop sign and got t-boned on the passenger side, nearly killing my grandmother, he would not give up driving. Finally my mother wised up and decided she HAD to do something. Her having her mother in the hospital for a couple of weeks made her see the only rational course of action.
Not all people at his age are as dangerous, but there are also some that are worse. The fact that people are different is why testing makes sense.
Ignoring the problem will NOT help. Denying that there is a problem will NOT help.
Report Post »Lillith66
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 3:39amReese Witherspoon seems like a sweet woman, why are you people being so mean…it could have been your sister, wife or mother…get real guys!!
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 3:49amI don‘t know anything about Reece Witherspoon beyond some of the things she’s done on the screen. All of what I’ve seen has been really good. I wouldn’t want anything like getting hit by a car to happen to anyone, much less someone who provides a reprieve from the obvious collapse of the United States. I don’t care what her political leanings are, she’s beautiful, she seems intelligent, and she’s good at entertaining.
Report Post »JimCDew
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 3:34amI’m 64 with night vision problems. My solution is to not drive after sundown. Aging doesn’t necessarily mean you lose common sense. Wake up people! It’s those young whippersnappers who take the most risks behind the wheel.
Report Post »Gypsy123
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 3:32amMovie stars insignificant mindless. Was the elderly lady hurt?
Report Post »ZengaPA65
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 3:11amSlow news day?
Report Post »Constructionist
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 3:09amOut of all the crazy “I hate America” actors in Hollywood, the one who doesn’t like to show her midriff because its “not appropriate” gets hit by a car… sigh.
Report Post »LDSmommy
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 4:20amAin’t that the truth?!
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 2:52amStop, look and listen!
Report Post »The Eradicator
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 8:44amThats my philosophy, it‘s called rubberneckin’, baby…
Report Post »notsofast
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 2:17am,,,,,,Witherspoon was jogging in an unmarked crosswalk in Santa Monica when the driver struck okay, so why the ticket by cop for ….. for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk??? Ding ding, call me “Born Blond or something. What the heck? Oh well, shes ok. thats all that counts.
kalli
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 2:25am@Notsofast
Report Post »That was my first thought! But then, it’s in the land of Cal i fornia.
wordsworth
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 2:34amPedestrians have right of way. It’s still a crosswalk, even when unmarked.
Report Post »California suburbs often do not have markings in residential areas.
Sharlene
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 4:18amIn case your not aware, pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way, marked or unmarked.
Report Post »jank0614
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 5:56amYou can abuse the “pedestrians have the right of way” rule. If a car is moving and you step out in front of it, you DON’T have the right of way. I work at a HS and kids step out in front of moving cars on the parking lot all the time, never even looking, because they were taught they have the right of way – they think it’s a fun game. It’s not. They don’t realize a 2000 pound vehicle WILL win next to a 120 lb kid. They, along with most joggers, have one headphones, blindly text as they walk, and they can easily lose track of traffic. The walker/jogger has a responsibility to be aware of where they are and what’s around them, too. I‘m not saying that’s what happened here. I‘m just saying the pedestrian right of way doesn’t give you the right to step out in front of a moving car that is on the road.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 8:41amFair game, eh…I think not.
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 11:31amWacko California is the only state I am aware of, where the pedestrian ALWAYS has the right of way. In California, they can jaywalk, and they still have the right of way. The car NEVER has the right of way – even if they had a green light.
My experience when living there was that pedestrians abused this, and acted as though they were invincible, walking in front of cars INTENTIONALLY, expecting them to stop.
Worse, yet, if the car did anything THEY felt was wrong, they would reach out an SLAP or KICK the vehicle, or THROW something at it!!! (Starbucks half-caff-fat-free-mocha-latte-venti-frappa-cuppa-chino, backpack, bicycle lock, etc.)
Consider the state.
That’s why I left California and came back to Texas.
Report Post ».
.
UnitedWeStand
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:31pmIn Florida, a pedestrian crossing in an “unmarked” crosswalk has a duty to yield to all traffic on the roadway. Not that the old lady should not yield to the pedestrian as well. And no one has the “right of way”. Laws dictate who must yield the right of way to others.
Report Post »olddog
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:47amThe Smog is so bad there you couldn’t see an elephant in a crosswalk, much less an unmarked crosswalk.
Report Post »Cat
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:14amLegally blonde, does not a jogger make, but a liberal court, can net legal cash.
Report Post »RA0725
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:08amWow, all these comments about old people driving and I’m still stuck on “unmarked crosswalk”. Hope Reese Witherspoon is OK.
Report Post »fdmike
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:27amok i can understand the ambiguity of the unmarked crosswalk, but old people are dangerous on the road. But alas, this is a free country….and around and around we go
Report Post »greensteam
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:41amold people drive slow enough that they can be avoided easily by moving lazily one way or the other. unless you are jogging while listening to your mp3 player. than you cant even hear the 86 impala coming.
Report Post »Chris
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 7:23amIsn’t an “unmarked crosswalk” just a road?
Report Post »Benetto
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:03amI hope and pray that she will be fine.
Report Post »Affirmative Blaction
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:00amWow, this is like out of bad chick flick, poetic justice?
Report Post »ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:55amI’m curious, was grandma on Medical Marijuana, after have a Medical bottle of wine and Medical cheetos. And was she wearing a Hijab or any other headwear that might have interfered with her smoking a joint and driving 20MPH in the 45MPH zone?
Report Post »kalli
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:50am“Witherspoon was hit while jogging in an ”unmarked” crosswalk.” Not that the driver shouldn’t have seen Witherspoon, but I’m curious as to how would one know an unmarked crosswalk is a crosswalk?
Report Post »PatrickHenryFan
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:15amIn California, all intersections have an implied crosswalk whether marked or not. Pedestrian always has the right of way in a crosswalk and achieves the right of way by simply stepping off the curb. Though should do so with all due caution and common sense
Report Post »chfields62
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:39am@PatrickHenryFan…First off, I do hope she is ok. most people that age have no business behind the wheel of a car.
As far as pedestrian right of way, the law says they have the right of way, however, the cemetery is full of pedestrians who had “the right of way”. The car always has the right of way because when it comes to car versus pedestrian, pedestrian LOSES every time. If your stupid enough to step into traffic without looking first, you get what you deserve.
Report Post »mottdahoop
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 2:21amReese should be schooled in the concept of “Situational Awareness”. When a big car comes your way………..MOVE! Hope she will be okay.
Report Post »kalli
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 2:21am@Patrickhenryfan
Report Post »Oh, that makes perfect sense. Should have known only in CA would they have unmarked crosswalks. LOL!
WhiteHorse
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:42amReese probably had her dark shades on, her ipod pounding tunes into her ear buds, and she was day dreaming about how rich and famous and good looking she is. How the hell do you get hit by a car doing 20 mph without SEEING IT COMING? My bet is she ran right out in front of the driver without even looking.
Report Post »B_rad
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:10amIt’s possible, but what is more sad than her thinking and acting like she is better than anyone else, is you annonymously posting that you are. I don’t know her, but from what I have seen, she seems to be a genuinely nice person who cares a great deal about her children and works hard to do what is best for them. Call me optimistic, but my first thought when I hear about another person suffering is not how awful they are or that they simply must be a stuck up, self absorbed snob. Of course, people like you provide your own evidence of your being a judgemental wannabe.
God bless, Reese, heal fast.
Report Post »WhiteHorse
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 11:50amPlease show me where I indicated I was “better than anyone else.”
I won’t wait, B-Rad, because I DIDN’T. As far as YOUR HYPOCRITICAL tirade goes, you‘re not only accusing me of something I didn’t say, but you’re pulling the same thing that of which you just BLISTERED me for. Get a life moron, and then show me an actor or actress from hollyweird that ISN’T a narcissist, or a megalomaniac, or an elitist, or STUCK UP.
Get a life moron.
Report Post »Socialism_Is_The_New_Black
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 7:09pmWow B_RAD! You just defined what a self-righteous narcissist is. I love the post that try to teach others lessons. WHITEHORSE is right on the money. Reese didn’t marry some homely weak chinned bald egghead Hollywood agent for love. She’s done what other opportunist actresses in tinsel town have done before.
Running out into a crosswalk without assessing it first regardless of right-of way-is arrogant or suicidal.
Report Post »jspec33
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:40amI just hope she isn’t hurt too bad.
Report Post »Paula
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:39amAnd when it comes to young people…they should not be able to drive until 18. They’re just too immature for the most part.
Report Post »N37BU6
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:05amYes, because the older you are, the better you learn something… that’s why all the best guitar players learned when they were in their 40s.
Report Post »Paula
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:37amAfter a certain age, people should be tested ANNUALLY! I‘ve seen too many people out on the road endangering others because they can’t see, hear or turn their heads to check all around them when driving. Let’s face it…driving is a PRIVILAGE, not a right.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:33amI dropped out of racing because it’s unsafe to ride along with traffic. Cars win every time.
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:29ammany old people are fine while driving but there are some that should not. I‘ve known more than a few but I wouldn’t say most old people can’t drive.
However, when I see someone pull up to the store and they get out and come in the store in super slow motion, having trouble even getting out of the car and walking in then that person does not have the reflexes to operate a car anymore.
Report Post »eternalhostility
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:25amI am sure theblaze will be backing old driver restrictions. Romney and Perry will be on it – protecting us. The old lady was going 20 mph – this sounds like both parties had their head in the clouds.
Report Post »ITEOTWAWKI
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:32amIt’s California. I think their heads are located somewhere else.
Report Post »AOL_REFUGEE
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:15amSoon, there will need to be some restrictions on old people driving. I know they need to go to the convenience store or grocery or pharmacy, but some of them are just too damn uncoordinated or incapable of operating a large, heavy motorized vehicle. Big surprise, right?
Report Post »sissykatz
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:17amI would hazard a guess that you are not very old.
Report Post »Catherine A.
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:28amDitto, Sissy.
It has reached the point that whenever an older person is involved in a serious accident it makes headlines, when in fact most serious accidents involve YOUNGER drivers. It is mostly younger drivers who speed, tailgate, drive under the influence or while texting, have road rage, etc. We are all in much more danger from younger drivers than older drivers.
Report Post »420 Patriot
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:31amI was friends with my 73 year old neighbor and he could drive just fine. We do not need more legislation aimed at trying to make things safe for people. Everytime there is a law in the name of temporary safety, a liberty is lost. Benjamin Franklin warned of this when he said: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” We are lawed to death as it is.
Report Post »Benetto
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 1:17amSo AOL_Refugee, did I hear you volunteer to take the elderly to and from their doctor appointments and to the grocery store for food? I agree with the others most accidents are caused by the younger people, driving while on the phone, the newest fade. Unless you have walked in an elderlys perons shoes you have no idea what it is like for the elderly not be able to get around. If you can’t help with the problem of the elderly driving… then don’t complain!
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 10:16am@sissykatz
The truth has no agenda. You have to face facts here, age brings decreased reflexes, decreased situational awareness, decreased eyesight and decreased hearing. Those are facts. The older you get, the less skill you have at operating heavy machinery. You may have experience, but that doesn’t mean you can still drive a car successfully.
Report Post »Stu D. Baker-Hawk
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 11:36am@Benetto: Repeat after me: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION… PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION… PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION…
Report Post »AOL_REFUGEE
Posted on September 8, 2011 at 12:52pm@BENETTO: What an ignorant response you gave. You mean to tell me that you think some disabled, senile, half-blind individual – at ANY age, for that matter – is entitled to be on the road? Then YOU let ME know when that is, so I’m not on the road with them.
Some of these people just don’t know when to hang it up. Whether out of necessity or denial, they abuse the privilege. They have Parkinson‘s or Alzheimer’s, they’ve had strokes, half their body doesn’t work, their knees are frozen at strange angles, they can’t see past their nose from cataracts or other eye disease, etc., etc., etc. Any yet, as long as they can at least barely get around with a cane, a walker, a wheelchair, a Hover-round, or anything short of a stretcher – and they don‘t have to renew their driver’s license for another couple of years or so – they think they’re entitled to drive.
You sound like one of those people. It’s an unfortunate situation, but it’s common sense. Which is why it’s not up to ME to haul all these people around (at least, not without a salary). Are you one of those “The World Owes Me a Living” people, too? Well, then, however long you’ve been around on this earth, you’ve got something about life you need to RE-LEARN.
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