Nick Hogan's accident in 2007: the full story of the Clearwater crash
Nick Hogan's accident in 2007 involved a high-speed car crash in Florida that left his friend John Graziano with lifelong brain damage. He was sentenced to eight months in prison and was sued by the Graziano family for negligence.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Hulk Hogan's son, Nick, was involved in a 2007 car crash when he lost control while street racing with his friends in Clearwater, Florida.
- The accident critically injured his friend John Graziano, leaving him permanently paralysed and requiring around-the-clock care for the rest of his life.
- Nick was sentenced to eight months in prison for reckless driving and served his sentence in an adult prison despite being a teenager.
What led to the horrific John Graziano and Nick Hogan accident?
On August 26, 2007, a 17-year-old Nick Bollea was driving his father's customised yellow 1998 Toyota Supra in Clearwater, Florida. He was in the car with his best friend, John Graziano, while his two other friends drove a silver Dodge Viper.
The friends were on their way to a restaurant when they started drag racing at high speed on rain-slicked streets. Nick Hogan lost control of the Supra, which struck a curb and spun across lanes of traffic. The vehicle slammed rear-end first into a palm tree and was destroyed upon impact.
Source: Youtube
What were the injuries to John Graziano?
Nick was wearing a seatbelt, which saved him as he only sustained minor injuries and was released from the hospital the following day. A then-22-year-old John Graziano was in the passenger seat but did not have his seatbelt on. Reports showed that he suffered a broken skull and severe brain injury.
Graziano's injuries left him in a minimally conscious state requiring lifelong, 24-hour nursing care. He was hospitalised for two years after the crash and was released to home care in 2009. Before the devastating accident, John served in the US Marine and had recently returned from a tour in Iraq.
John Graziano's family sued Nick Hogan
In March 2008, John's parents, Debra and Edward Graziano, filed a civil lawsuit against Nick and his parents, Linda and wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, for negligence. Daniel Jacobs, the driver of the Dodge Viper involved in the street race, was also named in the suit.
They were seeking millions of dollars to cover the huge costs of John Graziano's medical care. The Hogan and Graziano families reached a confidential settlement in February 2010. The lawyers told the Tampa Bay Times that all the undisclosed settlement money was to be used on John.
Source: Youtube
Investigation into Hulk Hogan's son's accident and charges
Blood tests done two hours after the crash showed Hogan's blood-alcohol content was 0.055%. The level was below the 0.08% legal limit for adults, but Nick violated Florida's zero-tolerance policy for underage drivers, which is 0.02%.
The investigation also revealed that Hulk Hogan's son was driving the Toyota Supra at nearly 100 mph in a 40 mph zone. Nick had a history of speeding and had reportedly received warnings and speeding tickets before the accident.
The former Hogan Knows Best star was charged with reckless driving involving serious bodily injury, use of a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony, and illegal window tinting. He was also charged with operating a vehicle with a breath-alcohol level of 0.02 or higher while under the age of 21.
Nick Hogan served five months in prison
In May 2008, Bollea pleaded no contest to a felony charge of reckless driving involving serious bodily injury. He was sentenced to eight months in jail, five years of probation, 500 hours of community service, and a three-year driver's license suspension.
Nick served his time at Pinellas County Jail, where he spent most of his time in solitary confinement because he was a juvenile in an adult jail. He was released three months early in October 2008 for good behaviour. He was also granted early release from his probation in May 2012.
Source: Getty Images
Nick Hogan was arrested again for reckless driving
In November 2023, Nick Bollea was arrested on DUI charges in Clearwater, Florida, near where he crashed in 2007. He reportedly drove his 2021 Dodge Ram carelessly past three patrol cars at a traffic stop and failed field sobriety tests.
In June 2024, he pleaded guilty to a drunk driving misdemeanour. Bollea was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a one-year suspension of his driver's license, 100 hours of community service, and mandatory attendance at DUI school.
John Graziano's mother, Debra, was not pleased with Nick's repeat DUI arrest, 16 years after her son's life was ruined. She told TMZ in November 2023 that the incident showed a lack of respect for what he did to another person.
I can only pray that at some point in his life, while he still has the chance, that he turns his life around. Until then, I hope no one else gets hurt... I grieve the virtual loss of my son on a daily basis. I thank God daily that at least I have John here with us at home.
Source: Getty Images
Nick Hogan's car accident made him quit car racing
As a teenager, Hulk Hogan's son was a promising race car driver, mainly in drifting. His passion was highlighted on his family's reality series, Hulk Knows Best, which aired on VH1 from July 2005 to October 2007.
Nick earned his Formula D competition license in 2006, which allowed him to participate in Formula Drift and the NOPI Drift Series. Dodge briefly sponsored him in 2007 and provided him with Dodge Vipers for racing.
Bollea switched his focus to DJing and business after the high-profile crash. In a 2010 interview with GMA, Nick Hogan said the accident dramatically changed his life.
John's my brother. We practically lived together, and I just remember finding out about how bad everything was. It's still hard for me to think about it... I pray to God every day that I'll be able to deal with it—It's something that I carry with me every day.
Source: Instagram
Conclusion
It has been over 18 years since Nick Hogan's accident affected his and John Graziano's families. The reality TV star is now in charge of his father's estate as the sole heir after Hulk's death in July 2025, while the Iraq war veteran remains under his mother's care in Florida.
READ ALSO: Brooke Hogan's net worth, age, married, height, parents, where is she today?
Briefly.co.za highlighted facts about Hulk Hogan's eldest daughter, Brooke Hogan. She is a singer and reality TV star, and runs an interior design business in Nashville called BB Designs by Brooke.
Brooke married former NHL player Steven Oleksy in 2022. She had a complicated relationship with her father. The two were estranged when the wrestling legend died in 2025, and she asked to be removed from the will.
Source: Briefly News
