Why Lindsay Lohan’s car crash was completely avoidable

Lindsay Lohan escaped serious injury when she crashed her Porsche into an 18-wheeler on the Pacific Coast Highway last week. However, the accident never should have occurred because she wasn't supposed to be driving.

Lohan, 25, was on her way to the set of Lifetime's Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton biopic "Liz & Dick" on Friday for day four of production on the movie — which is being touted as yet another attempt at a comeback for the troubled actress — when she totaled her car. Instead of filming her scenes, Lohan, who complained of pain and was reportedly bruised and bloodied, was taken to the hospital, holding up production on the set for hours. But, according to the movie's exec producer Larry A. Thompson, the accident never should have happened because Lohan is supposed to be chauffeured to the set daily. For reasons unknown, on that day, instead of getting in the waiting car, Lohan made the questionable decision to drive herself and a male assistant.

"When they went to pick her up today, for some reason she decided they would get in her own car, so the limousine driver followed them," Thompson told Deadline.

The limo was behind Lohan when she rear-ended a dump truck, totaling her Porsche. According to the truck driver (who has only given his first name, James, to the media), Lohan's car was being followed by a Cadillac Escalade and after the crash Lindsay got out of her car and into the SUV. The truck driver told TMZ that when he went to the Escalade to try to exchange insurance information with Lohan, the driver of the Escalade attempted to pay him off, saying they could "go to the bank" and withdraw some cash. "Him and the guy took me across the street and told me this was some kind of famous person and they didn't want to be in the media," James said. "But I'd already called 911 because they were trying to get away from the scene."

Police determined that Lohan, who has a long history of drug and alcohol issues, was not under the influence at the time of the crash. She was taken to Santa Monica UCLA Hospital to be checked out and two hours later headed to the set. Once there she had two hours of hair and makeup to ready for the role of screen legend Taylor, pushing back production of the movie for hours. They finally wrapped at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning. Thompson told The Hollywood Reporter that Lohan "has certainly lived up to every expectation we have of her" and noted that producers initially were concerned about her commitment to the project and included extra safeguards in her contract.

A lot is riding on this project for Lohan. This is her first return to acting after she was taken off probation from her 2007 Beverly Hills DUI case in March. Though that case is now behind her, Lohan remains on probation for her necklace theft until May 2014.

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