STAMFORD, Conn. – Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon has been authorized to participate in a pre-trial program to resolve a reckless driving charge stemming from an accident this summer in Connecticut. A state Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that McMahon could enter the program if he made a charitable contribution of $1,000 and only drove if properly licensed and insured. If he meets these conditions, the reckless driving charge and another charge for following too closely will be dismissed in a year. McMahon was accused of causing a crash on July 24 on the Merritt Parkway in Westport that wrecked his Bentley and damaged two other cars, according to state police. No one was injured in the accident, and the other drivers did not object to McMahon’s request for the pre-trial program. The police report indicated that McMahon was driving north on the highway, also known as Route 15, when he rear-ended a BMW and crashed into a wooden guardrail. A car traveling in the southbound lanes hit debris from the crash that flew over the guardrail.
McMahon did not speak during the brief hearing. His lawyer, Mark Sherman, said afterwards that “not all car accidents are a crime. That’s what happened here, an accident”. McMahon resigned as WWE CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, WWE’s parent company, last year, a day after a former WWE employee filed a lawsuit against him for sexual abuse. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit is still pending. McMahon bought what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1982 and transformed it from a regional wrestling company into a global phenomenon. In addition to running the company with his wife, Linda, who is now the United States Secretary of Education, he also performed at WWE events as himself.Not all car accidents are a crime. That’s what happened here, an accident.
Mark Sherman, McMahon’s lawyer
