Lohan taken to hospital after car crash
Denise Petski

LOS ANGELES—Lindsay Lohan and two other people were taken to a hospital Tuesday after the actress’ black Mercedes-Benz convertible collided with a van in West Hollywood, authorities said. Witnesses said Lohan was trying to avoid paparazzi photographers when the crash occurred.
Lohan and a female passenger in her car suffered minor injuries, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Diane Hecht. The driver of the van, which was knocked into a parked vehicle, suffered moderate injuries, Hecht said. The identities of Lohan’s passenger and the male driver of the van were not immediately released.
The accident, was witnessed by a number of people, including a reporter for the syndicated television show “The Insider.” “Insider” reporter Victoria Recano told The Associated Press she saw Lohan and a passenger run into an antique store immediately after the collision. Javier Ramirez, who works at the store, said he recognized Lohan. “She was very upset,” Ramirez told the newsmen. “She kept saying, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, I can’t believe it.’” Ramirez said Lohan and her passenger left after a few minutes and although both were shaken up, neither appeared badly hurt. Television news footage showed a badly damaged black Mercedes outside the store with both its driver- and passenger-side air bags inflated.
The sheriff’s department said the driver of the van appeared to be turning in front of Lohan’s car when the vehicles collided. There was no evidence alcohol was involved in the crash, Hecht said in a news release. Witnesses said dozens of paparazzi photographers had been following Lohan through the area before the crash. At one point, according to Lori Satzberg, 43, several photographers tried to take pictures of Lohan as she shopped at a clothing store. The photographers then followed her outside to her car.
“She got into her black Mercedes across the street and they literally were like sitting on her car, trying to take pictures of her, she was like yelling at them to get off,” Satzberg said. The crash was the second one Lohan, 19, has been involved in recent months.
Police said the star of such films as “Mean Girls” and “Herbie: Fully Loaded” was attempting to evade a paparazzi photographer in June when the photographer crashed his car into her Mercedes. She suffered cuts and bruises in that crash but did not seek medical attention.
The photographer was arrested for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon. Police said it appeared he deliberately crashed into the actress’ vehicle. A new state law signed Friday allows victims of paparazzi assaults to file lawsuits seeking up to three times the damages they suffered. The law goes into effect Jan. 1.