Rebecca Gayheart Accident: Charge, Plea, and Lawsuit

On June 13, 2001, actress Rebecca Gayheart’s accident in Hollywood killed nine-year-old Jorge Cruz Jr., who was crossing Bronson Avenue on his way home from school. Gayheart passed a line of stopped cars by moving into a center turn lane, struck the boy, and was later charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. She pleaded no contest, received probation and community service, and settled a wrongful death suit filed by the boy’s parents.

What Happened on Bronson Avenue

At about 2:40 p.m. on June 13, 2001, several northbound vehicles on Bronson Avenue near Carlton Way had stopped to let Jorge Cruz Jr. cross the street. He had entered the roadway roughly 160 feet south of the nearest intersection.1LAPD Online. 9-Year-Old Killed in Traffic Collision Gayheart, driving a friend’s 1996 Jeep Cherokee, pulled into a two-way left-turn lane to go around the stopped cars. Witnesses estimated her speed at more than 40 miles per hour.2LAPD Online. Nine-Year-Old Killed in Traffic Collision – Update The Jeep hit Cruz as he reached the middle of the road.

He was taken to Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles with severe head trauma, remained in critical condition overnight, and was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. the following morning.1LAPD Online. 9-Year-Old Killed in Traffic Collision

Years later, Gayheart said the car directly in front of her had braked suddenly and she swerved around it without realizing the driver had stopped for a child in the street. She said the boy had been chasing a soccer ball.3E! Online. Rebecca Gayheart Spent a Year Trying to Kill Herself After Car Accident Left a Child Dead

Why the Charge Was a Misdemeanor

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office reviewed the case and declined to file felony charges, finding that drugs, alcohol, and reckless driving were not factors.4Los Angeles Times. Actress Faces Misdemeanor Charge in Boy’s Death The case went to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office, which on October 2, 2001, filed a single count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence under California Penal Code section 192(c)(2).2LAPD Online. Nine-Year-Old Killed in Traffic Collision – Update

That charge requires proof of ordinary negligence dangerous to human life that was a substantial factor in causing the death.5Justia. CALCRIM No. 593 – Vehicular Manslaughter It sits below the felony version in section 192(c)(1), which requires gross negligence. The maximum exposure on the misdemeanor was one year in jail, fines, and loss of Gayheart’s driver’s license.4Los Angeles Times. Actress Faces Misdemeanor Charge in Boy’s Death

The Plea and Sentence

On November 27, 2001, Gayheart appeared before Superior Court Commissioner Gary Bindman and pleaded no contest.6Los Angeles Times. Ex-Beverly Hills 90210 Star Pleads No Contest in Boy’s Death She was sentenced to:

She served no jail time. Her attorney, Harland Braun, told reporters after the hearing that Gayheart was “taking it very hard” and called the incident “the worst thing that could happen to somebody.”8Deseret News. Ex-90210 Star Pleads No Contest in Boy’s Death

Gayheart completed her community service at Chrysalis, a Los Angeles nonprofit that helps homeless and low-income individuals find work. In 2002, she helped launch the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball, an annual fundraising gala she remains involved with as an honorary co-chair.9Chrysalis. Chrysalis Butterfly Ball

The Wrongful Death Lawsuit

In August 2001, the boy’s parents, Jorge Cruz and Silvia Martinez, filed a wrongful death suit against Gayheart seeking damages for medical, hospital, and funeral expenses along with loss of future earnings.10Midland Reporter-Telegram. Gayheart Settles Auto Death Suit The case settled out of court. The settlement amount was never made public.11People. Rebecca Gayheart Didn’t Want to Live After Killing Boy in Car Accident Before the settlement, Gayheart had already paid $10,000 toward the boy’s hospital and funeral costs.7People. Rebecca Gayheart Needed to Speak Out About Tragic Car Accident

What Gayheart Has Said Since

Gayheart said little publicly about the accident for 18 years. In May 2019, she spoke at length on the podcast The Only One in the Room, hosted by Laura Cathcart Robbins. She said she “did not cope very well” afterward and “just didn’t want to live,” describing roughly a year of “every self-destructive thing a person can do.”7People. Rebecca Gayheart Needed to Speak Out About Tragic Car Accident She said she had PTSD and recurring nightmares.3E! Online. Rebecca Gayheart Spent a Year Trying to Kill Herself After Car Accident Left a Child Dead

On the podcast she told Robbins, “I lost faith in everything. I questioned God. ‘Why me? Why Jorge?'” She added: “Today I am able to ponder those questions and still realize that I deserve to be happy and that I am meant to be on this planet and that I have a purpose and I’m making living amends for that even though it was an accident.”12Today. Actress Rebecca Gayheart Opens Up About Car Accident That Killed 9-Year-Old Boy

She offered one piece of driving advice from the experience: “If a car in front of you hits their brakes and they stop, you don’t go around them to avoid hitting them. You hit them, because there’s a reason they’re stopping.”3E! Online. Rebecca Gayheart Spent a Year Trying to Kill Herself After Car Accident Left a Child Dead