LAKE FOREST, Ill -- Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs said he panicked after he crashed his new Lamborghini along a highway early Monday morning and initially reported his car stolen after abandoning the mangled vehicle.
Briggs, speaking to reporters after practice on Tuesday, said he called a tow truck after leaving the scene and then reported that his car was stolen.
"When it happened, the first thing I did was, obviously, I panicked," Briggs said. "I didn't want there to be a big scene there. And so I left the scene. When I left, I called the tow truck. I also was startled, and I called to report that my car was stolen.
"Within probably 10 minutes, I called back and accepted responsibility for what I did because it was ridiculous in the first place."
Illinois Police found the abandoned vehicle, which had hit a light pole and a concrete bridge support, alongside the expressway on the city's North Side around 3:15 a.m.
Briggs was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor, Illinois State Police said Monday.
While Briggs' car crash remained the main topic of discussion, the Chicago Bears continued to prepare for the preseason-finale against Cleveland.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
