John Terry breathalysed after car injures steward

Chelsea football captain John Terry (GETTY IMAGES)

Chelsea football captain John Terry was breathalysed and questioned by police after his car ran into a club steward, it emerged today.

The 29-year-old hit the club official with his Range Rover as he left Stamford Bridge last night after his team's Champions League defeat to Inter Milan.

Eyewitnesses said the steward, who police said suffered a broken leg, was caught under a wheel as he cleared a scrum of photographers and fans.

Terry, whose wife Toni was in the passenger seat, was said to be moving at a slow walking pace.

The footballer was not aware of the accident until he was telephoned at home in Oxshott, Surrey, the club said.

He was breathalysed by officers from Surrey Police several hours later and was found to be within the legal alcohol limit.

The former England captain has since spoken to his injured colleague by telephone to check on his welfare, Chelsea said.

Photographs from the scene show the steward, smartly dressed in a dark woollen jacket, clutching his leg as paramedics attended to him.

A Chelsea spokesman said the steward only suffered a "badly bruised leg" in the accident shortly after 11pm.

He said: "We can confirm there was an unfortunate accident as John Terry left Stamford Bridge last night.

"When driving out of the stadium at approximately 1-2mph in a queue of traffic exiting the ground, his car was surrounded by photographers and fans.

"In the melee that ensued a member of Chelsea's security staff was knocked to the ground, making contact with the car. He suffered a badly bruised leg.

"John was aware at the time that there was a lot of contact with his car during the incident, but not that anyone was injured as a result.

"Upon hearing of the injury, John spoke to the police. He has also been in contact with the staff member to check on his welfare."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Police were called at 11.13pm to Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, to reports of a collision between a car and a pedestrian.

"A 35-year-old man suffering a broken leg was taken by ambulance to a west London hospital where he is in a stable condition.

"The 4x4 car did not stop at the scene. Inquiries into the incident continue."

Inter Milan recorded a 1-0 win with a Samuel Eto'o goal, giving them a 3-1 aggregate win after the first leg in Italy.

Terry has endured a tempestuous 2010 amid rumours of an affair with lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel.

Reports about Terry's relationship with Ms Perroncel, the former partner of fellow England star Wayne Bridge, put pressure on team manager Fabio Capello.

The Italian stepped in to strip him of the England captaincy during a short private meeting at Wembley at the beginning of February.

Bridge has since ruled himself out of an England place as Terry received a fierce barracking from opposition fans and in the media.

The Football Association has been fighting to avoid a team crisis in the run-up to this summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.

Terry's spokesman Phil Hall told Sky Sports News the steward only suffered a sprained ankle and not a broken leg as claimed by police.

He said: "It wasn't until he was signalled through that he got away from that melee. And it was an hour later before he knew what had happened.

"The club made contact with John and put the police in touch. They breathalysed him but he hadn't had a single drop to drink so the breathalyser showed nothing.

"John answered any questions they asked and that was the end of the matter. Since then he's found out the name of person and called him.

"He's been to the doctors and has a sprained ankle and I think John's going to see him tomorrow."

Asked further about the injury, he added: "I think it was very swollen and the natural instinct from the uninitiated eye was that it was broken but the gentleman concerned spoke to John and said it's not. It's swollen and sprained but he's not blaming John.

"He (Terry) was really upset this had happened because the security guys were obviously trying to help him. He was very apologetic.

"He's upset this gentleman was injured. The security guys and players are very close because they work together all the time. So he's naturally upset about it."