Nick Hogan didn't "know best" when crashing his Toyota Supra
Nick Bollea or famously known as Nick Hogan (Hulk Hogan’s Son) has a need for speed at the cost of John Graziano’s life. Nick was a Television personality for his dad on “Hogan Knows Best” from 2005 to 2007. At 17 Nick decided his passion was racing, not wrestling like his father. John Graziano, formerly a marine of the Iraq war, supported Nick as a crew member.
It’s no secret that Nick had a bad driving record. In September of 2006, his Lamborghini overheated and caught on fire. Not even a week later, he was stopped twice by police for speeding over 100MPH. In 2007 he received three more tickets for speeding leading up to his serious crash.
16 days after his last ticket, Nick, John, and two other friends were driving to a steakhouse in Clearwater, Florida. A witness stated that the yellow Toyota Supra and a Dodge Viper were racing in a 40MPH speed limit zone. The road conditions were wet and Nick lost control of the Supra, causing it to spin across the road into the median then a palm tree. John and Nick were rushed to the hospital. John was not wearing a seatbelt and sustained serious injuries. His skull broke and his brain swelled, the doctors diagnosed him with severe brain injury. John is expected to need nursing care for the rest of his life with minimal consciousness and is unable to move on his own. Reports later found that Nick had a blood alcohol level of 0.055% just under the legal limit.
Nick was charged with Reckless driving involving serious bodily injury, which is punishable for up to five years. The judge sentenced Nick to eight months in jail. He was released early for good behavior and John’s family sued the Hogan’s and came to a settlement of 1.5 million.