Arnold Schwarzenegger sued over car crash that left woman ‘permanently disabled’

Arnold Schwarzengger is facing accusations of driving ‘wrongfully and recklessly’ in new lawsuit

Arnold Schwarzenegger is being sued over a January 2022 car crash which reportedly left a woman “permanently disabled”.

In court documents obtained by TMZ, Cheryl Augustine claims she was driving near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Allenford Avenue in Los Angeles when she was struck by Mr Schwazenegger’s car.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, accuses the former governor of California, 76, of driving “wrongfully and recklessly”.

As a result, Ms Augustine claims she sustained “shock and injury to her nervous system”, and that her injuries “will result in some permanent disability”.

The lawsuit, also obtained by The Blast, claims the woman has been unable to work since the car crash and has “suffered out-of-pocket property damage, loss of use of her automobile, and incurred other out-of-pocket expenses in an amount not known”.

She is now seeking damages from the <em>Terminator</em> actor to cover her medical bills and property damage, among other items.

The incident at the centre of the lawsuit unfolded almost two years ago on 21 January 2022, when Mr Schwarzenegger was driving a Yukon SUV in the area around half a mile from his home.

TMZ reported that Mr Schwarzenegger’s SUV collided with a red Prius at around 4.35pm that afternoon.

Law enforcement sources told the outlet that the actor had gone to turn left before the left turn arrow on the traffic lights switched from red to green.

The 76-year-old has been sued for damages over injuring a woman (Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures)

No arrests were made and police did not believe any alcohol or drugs were involved, ABC7 reported.

Images from the scene show the large vehicle resting on top of the smashed-up Prius bonnet; the SUV then rolled to the left onto a third vehicle, a Porsche Taycan.

Witnesses also claimed that they saw a woman with blood gushing from her head before she was taken to hospital, according to TMZ.

Mr Schwarzenegger, who was photographed at the scene, seemed visibly uninjured himself – but was said to be concerned about the injured woman.

The actor-turned-politician does not appear to have yet responded to the lawsuit.

The suit comes weeks after Mr Schwarzenegger was served with another complaint – this time about a separate collision around one year on from the 2022 crash.

In February 2023, Mr Schwarzenegger allegedly hit Joanne Flickinger with his SUV while she was riding her bike in West Los Angeles.

The suit claims that he was driving "with excessive speed and failed to keep a proper lookout,” according to TMZ.

However, the outlet also claimed that law enforcement sources told them that the woman made a left turn in front of the SUV before the actor could hit the brakes.

The Independent has contacted Mr Schwarzenegger’s representatives for comment.