Hulk Hogan’s son, Nick Hogan, is being beaten by the family of his 2007 crash victim, who suffered brain damage after his last drunk driving 16 years later in the same Florida town.
In 2007, John Graziano was left in a vegetative state following a car accident caused by Nick Bollea.
Wrestler Hulk Hogan’s son, who was just 17 at the time, was sentenced to eight months in prison in 2008 for the crash.
He pleaded no contest to the reckless driving charge related to the August 2007 crash in Clearwater, Florida.
The teenager was speeding in his yellow Toyota Supra with his best friend John, who was just 22 years old, in the passenger seat when the vehicle left the highway and crashed into a palm tree.
Hulk Hogan’s son, Nick Hogan, is beaten by the family of his 2007 crash victim, who suffered brain damage 16 years later after his last drunk driving in the same Florida city; He can be seen in 2007
In 2007, John Graziano was left in a vegetative state after a car accident caused by Nick Bollea; He can be seen in 2008
Nick was taken to hospital with minor injuries, while John suffered a fractured skull and other serious injuries.
Former U.S. Marine John will require full-time medical care throughout his life.
Now, John’s mother Debra has told TMZ that she isn’t surprised by Nick’s recent DUI arrest.
The mother told the publication that Nick appears to be just as careless today as he was 17 years ago when he got into the car accident that changed her son’s life forever.
She also told the publication that she believes the events of 2007 should be included in the new case.
Debra said the fact that Nick was arrested again for drunk driving almost 20 years later shows a “complete lack of respect for what (he) did to another person’s life and you’re still driving recklessly.”
“I can only pray that at some point in his life, while he still has the chance, he can turn his life around. “By then I hope no one gets hurt anymore.”
She also spoke candidly at the time of publication, saying that the accident significantly changed not only John’s life, but also the lives of those around him.
‘Complete lack of respect for what (he) did to another person’s life and you’re still driving recklessly’: Now John’s mother Debra has told TMZ that she’s not surprised by Nick’s recent DUI arrest
Former Marine John Graziano (right) and his brother Micheal (left) were both passengers in speeding cars, both were not wearing seatbelts and both brothers were critically injured
Debra explained, “I grieve the virtual loss of my son daily. “I thank God daily that I at least have John here at home with us.”
According to TMZ, Nick was arrested for drunk driving just before 4 a.m. Saturday in Clearwater, Florida, after he allegedly refused to take a sobriety test.
The 33-year-old TV personality was taken into custody on “suspicion of driving under the influence.”
According to the release, the arrest is being recorded as a misdemeanor. However, Nick has yet to be released from police custody.
Earlier Friday, the reality star revealed on his main Instagram page that he would be participating in a bikini competition that evening at his father’s restaurant called Hulk’s Hangout on Clearwater Beach.
Further details about what led to the arrest in the early hours of Saturday have yet to be released.
The location of the latest arrest happens to be the same city where Nick was involved in a serious car accident 16 years earlier, when he was just 17 years old.
Drunk Driving Arrest: According to TMZ, Nick was arrested for drunk driving just before 4 a.m. Saturday in Clearwater, Florida, after he allegedly refused to take a sobriety test; seen in Las Vegas in 2014
Event: Earlier on Friday, the reality star revealed on his main Instagram page that he would be participating in a bikini competition at his father’s restaurant called Hulk’s Hangout on Clearwater Beach that evening; Father-son duo from 2009
On August 26, 2007, Hulk’s only son and youngest child, Nick, was driving a yellow Toyota Supra in Clearwater with his close friend and U.S. Marine John Graziano also in the vehicle.
At some point, the teenager lost control of the car and fell. The couple were flown to a hospital and Nick was released soon after.
However, Graziano – who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident – suffered a brain injury that required him to require 24-hour care for the rest of his life.
Nick later pleaded no contest to the charge of reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury and was sentenced to eight months in prison in Pinellas County. Police also claimed that alcohol was involved in the incident.
Hogan was additionally sentenced to five years probation and 500 hours of community service and his license was revoked for three years.
At the time, Hulk told People: “[Nick] went through life perhaps not having a real appreciation for things…”
“When that happened, it completely turned him around… It’s the best thing that ever happened to him.” I’m not saying it’s a good thing. But it happened for a reason.’
However, due to good behavior, Hulk’s son was released from prison after around six months in prison.
Misdemeanor: According to the release, the arrest is being recorded as a misdemeanor, but Nick has yet to be released from police custody; Nick was seen in 2006 with sister Brooke, mother Linda and father Hulk
Past Car Accident: Nick later pleaded no contest to the charge of reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury and was sentenced to 8 months in the Pinellas County Jail; Seen with his father in 2006
According to TMZ, Graziano’s family later sued the Hogans and the lawsuit was settled out of court.
A few years after the crash, Nick appeared on Good Morning America to talk about the night, calling the accident “terribly devastating.”
He expressed: “It’s hard to carry on every day and be positive when there is something that is so terribly devastating.”
Hogan – full name Nicholas Anthony Bollea – then admitted: “There are days when I can’t even get out of bed.”
Nick also commented on his close friend who suffered brain damage. “John is my brother, we practically lived together and I just remember finding out how bad everything was. “It’s still hard for me to think about it.”
“I pray every day that I’ll get through this.” It’s still at this point, it’s too much to think about. It’s something I carry with me every day.’
Before the accident in 2007, Nick received several speeding tickets, particularly in the state of Florida.
He admitted he was “absolutely reckless” when it came to speeding, adding: “It was young and frankly just stupid, not mature.”
Revealed: A few years after the crash, Nick appeared on Good Morning America to talk about the evening, calling the accident “terribly devastating”; Nick was seen with his family in 2006
WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan shares his son Nick and daughter Brooke, 35, with his ex-wife Linda. The former couple were married from 1983 until their final divorce in 2009.
He most recently tied the knot with Sky Daily a few months earlier in September, after proposing to the yoga teacher back in July.
Nick has been romantically linked to celebrities such as Selling Sunset star Bre Tiesi. The two were together from 2008 until their split in 2015.
He later dated media personality Brit Manuela and has been in a relationship with erotic model Tana Lea since 2019.