Caught! Celebrities Accused of Hit and Runs

Sept. 20, 2012— -- intro: Car accidents happen, but no one likes a hit-and-runner, especially if it's a celebrity.

Although her rep insists the incident is "much ado about nothing," Lindsay Lohan was arrested early Wednesday in New York City for a hit and run, after a "low-speed crash" in which she allegedly struck a man with her Porsche, according to New York City police.

Her rep told ABC News, "While some of the facts are still being gathered, it appears that this is much ado about nothing. We are confident this matter will be cleared up in the coming weeks and the claims being made against Lindsay will be proved untrue."

The 26-year-old actress was parking a 2010 Porsche Cayenne at 1 a.m. in an alley crowded with people outside the Dream Hotel when she struck a man, the police said.

The man, who the NYPD said is in his 30s, said he was hit and was taken to Bellevue Hospital for a knee injury.

After the alleged hit, Lohan entered a club adjacent to the Dream Hotel. Police arrived at the scene and arrested Lohan at 2:30 a.m. She was charged for leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor.

Just days ago, Lohan was slamming another former child star, Amanda Bynes, for her run-ins with the law after Byrnes was charged twice for fleeing the scene of an accident in the span of five months.

"Why did I get put in jail and a Nickelodeon star has had NO punishment(s) so far?" Lohan tweeted Sunday, apparently referring to Bynes.

Bynes' car was impounded, but other stars have faced worse consequences after a hit and run. Click through to see five others who were accused of running after a crash.

quicklist: 1title: Amanda Bynestext: Bynes, best known for her roles in WB's "What I Like About You" and the movie "Easy A," was charged earlier this month with two misdemeanor counts of hit and run after allegedly crashing into a car and fleeing the scene twice in the span of five months. The first hit-and-run occurred on April 10, according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles. The second happened Aug. 4. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail or a $1,000 fine or both.

Last week, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel -- the same judge who sentenced Lindsay Lohan to 90 days in jail in 2010 after she violated her probation for a DUI charge -- ordered Bynes not to drive without a valid driver's license, the court confirmed to ABCNews.com. When Bynes was spotted driving around Los Angeles this past weekend, her car was impounded Sunday by Bob Hope Airport police.

Bynes' next hearing is set for Friday.media: 17273429

quicklist: 2title: Heather Lockleartext: In 2010, "Melrose Place" actress Heather Locklear was charged with a hit and run after crashing into a street sign in the wee hours of the morning. After a Ventura County resident reported hearing a crash around 4 a.m., police launched an investigation that led them to Locklear, whom they believe was behind the wheel at the time of the crash, Ventura County Sheriff's Captain Eric Dowd told ABCNews.com at the time. She was cited for a misdemeanor and released.

The hit-and-run was bad news for Locklear who was already serving three years' probation for a September 2008 DUI arrest. While a blood test detected no alcohol or illegal drugs in Locklear's system, the Santa Barbara District Attorney's office alleged that she was under the influence of prescription medications the day she was arrested. In January 2009, Locklear pleaded no contest to one charge of reckless driving; in return, the district attorney dismissed her DUI charges. Her punishment: the aforementioned probation, a $700 fine and a DMV road and safety class.media: 17273486

quicklist: 3title: Halle Berrytext: Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry was charged with a misdemeanor hit and run after she drove through a red light in February 2000, crashed into another woman's car and left the scene of the accident. Berry later turned up at a hospital where she reported the accident to police and received 22 stitches for a gash on her forehead, according to People magazine. The actress, who pleaded no contest, was sentenced to 250 hours of community service, which she fulfilled by volunteering at a battered women's shelter, and three years' probation, according to the Associated Press. Jet magazine reported that she later settled a civil lawsuit with the other driver out of court. media: 17273502

quicklist: 4title: January Jonestext: In June 2010, "Mad Men" actress January Jones lost control of her Range Rover and crashed into two parked cars, then hoofed it home on foot. Was it a hit and run? Jones' rep insisted she did not flee the scene. "While being followed by paparazzi, Ms. Jones struck two parked cars. She did not flee the scene; she left her license with a witness and walked to her nearby home to call the police. She immediately returned to the scene to speak with the police," her rep told People magazine. The Los Angeles Police Department agreed with Jones' rep that no crime had been committed. "If this was a hit-and-run, Ms. Jones would have been arrested. She was being followed by paparazzi and hit two parked cars. She wasn't under the influence of anything. No one got hurt. That's pretty much it. There is no investigation," the LAPD told People.

One strange note about the accident: the appearance of celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Flay's publicist, Jennifer Baum, told ABCNews.com at the time that he was watching the Lakers-Celtics game with Jones and a group of friends earlier in the evening at the London West Hollywood Hotel. Although they had met only once before -- when Jones, who is married to actress Stephanie March, gave Flay her number because she wanted to remodel her kitchen -- she called on Flay for help after the crash.media: 17273253

quicklist: 5title: Britney Spearstext: In September 2007, Britney Spears was charged with a misdemeanor count of hit and run after an August 2007 incident, in which she hit a parked car in a parking lot, then left the scene without a note or any attempt to contact the driver of the car, according to People magazine. The entire incident was captured on video by a cameraman for a celebrity gossip website. A month later, the charge was dismissed after the pop star paid about $1,000 in damages to the car's owner, People reported.media: 17273148