Allegedly drunk driver hits Sandra Bullock’s vehicle head-on

By Matthew B. Zeidman

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (Hollywood Today) 4/20/08 – Sandra Bullock managed to handle an out-of-control bus in the 1994 blockbuster “Speed” with nary a scratch, and it seems her automotive luck extends off-screen, as well. Bullock and her husband, Discovery Channel host Jesse James, were unhurt after an allegedly drunk driver crossed out of her lane and hit the SUV the stars were riding in head-on.

The collision happened in Gloucester, Mass. at approximately 9:50 p.m. Friday, Jerry Cook, a police lieutenant, told the Associated Press. According to Cook, 64-year-old Lucille Gatchell was driving her station wagon at approximately 15-20 miles per hour when she drifted into oncoming traffic and hit the vehicle in which Bullock and James were passengers, which was traveling at about the same speed. He also told the wire service that Gatchell’s alcohol level at the scene exceeded twice the legal limit.

Gatchell, who was also not seriously injured, was released on her own recognizance after being taken to the local police station for booking and will be arraigned Tuesday for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Bullock became a household name following her appearance in “Speed,” but is also well known for her starring role in the 2000 comedy “Miss Congeniality” and its sequel, as well the 2004 drama “Crash,” for which she and her castmates won a Screen Actors Guild award. The actress is in Massachusetts filming “The Proposal,” a comedy set for a 2009 release.