Hogan Knows Best:Father racing son?(Hulk vs. Nick)

*****Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch has again done a Five-star job of covering the Nick Bollea car crash case. We have included a few excerpts from Wade’s works and to get all of the News go to the #1 site in Sports Entertainment today www.pwtorch.com. Wade Keller and his staff, including local writer Bruce Mitchell have the squared circle and all of the areas outside the ring covered. Again that’s www.pwtorch.com*****

The Associated Press reports that Nick Bollea, Hulk Hogan’s son, was racing another car – a silver Dodge Viper – moments before he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a gree, critically injuring his passenger. His passenger is a 23 year old Marine who spent time in Iraq. There have been no updates about his condition, but it’s said to be critical through today, reportedly comatose.

There is an ongoing investigation. Because the Hogan family owns a silver Dodge Viper, there are rumors that Hulk Hogan was driving the car that was racing his son Nick. Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor issued a statement this afternoon saying Hulk Hogan “Was not driving a car beside or near the one his son, Nick, was driving when it crashed.’ He said Hogan arrived minutes after the crash.

Florida radio station WDAE reported Wednesday afternoon on the Nick Bollea car crash that witnesses identified a silver Dodge Viper, a type of car Hulk Hogan and his family own, as the car racing Nick’s car that crashed Sunday, leaving his passenger in a coma.

The WDAE host said: “How do i want to say this? (pause) There might be some strong evidence that allegedly the driver of the car was Hulk himself. And that would be a tragedy that he would be allegedly racing his own dad. I can only imagine if that was the case and you look in your rear view mirror and see your kid hit a pole. Don’t be surprised if at some point you see the name Hulk Hogan come out as the other car, allegedly. When you have a marine in the hospital coming back from Iraq and I believe specialists are being flown in by Mr. Hogan, I’m just telling you don’t be surprised if that name doesn’t come up.”

If the passenger dies, Nick could be charged with vehicular manslaughter, facing a potential of 15 years in state prison. Nick is 17 years old.

-The fact that Nick had four other speed violations in the last year, barely over one year after getting his license. Two of the violations were driving over 100 MPH in a 70. He hasn’t even gone to court for one of his violations yet.

–Just two weeks ago while zooming around the city of Pinellas Park, the Hogan Knows Best star was nabbed going 82 mph in a 45 mph zone – nearly double the speed limit – and in a construction zone, no less.(Sound familiar)

–Frances Vitalis, a Plant City registered nurse, told the St. Petersburg Times she was on a motorcycle not far behind Bollea’s car and saw the Supra and a silver Dodge Viper speeding on rain-slick roads between traffic lights. “We knew something was going to happen,” she said Tuesday. “You know that this is a bad situation and these guys are hotdogging.”

–The paper noted that Hulk Hogan, whose birth name is Terry Bollea, owns a 2006 silver Dodge Viper coupe that matched the description of the other vehicle, though witnesses were not able to identify the driver.
Shelor subsequently issued a statement on Wednesday saying the pro-wrestling superstar was not driving alongside the teen at the time of impact, but had shown up at the scene several minutes later, and there is so far no outright proof indicating the younger Bollea was racing.

–Various media outlets have described both (John) Graziano and (Nick) Bollea as great friends, but also adrenaline junkies to an extent. WTVT noted that the latter had expressed an interest in fast cars and even mentioned attending stunt-driving school at one time. In fact, in a blog entry on his MySpace page dated June 19, Bollea wrote that he was “working his way into the drifting world” and was practicing up on his skills in hopes of driving the Viper in a formula race. Under occupation, he also describes himself as a “pro drifter.”

******Not taking any chances, the Hogan family has hired J. Kevin Hayslett, a Clearwater-based attorney specializing in criminal defense and drunk driving cases, to represent Bollea in the event charges are filed.

–Graziano’s family and close friends, meanwhile, remain by his bedside at the hospital. A prayer vigil for friends and acquaintances is scheduled for tonight in Glen Oaks.*****