Actress Sued for Wrongful Death of Boy

August 9 -- Actress Rebecca Gayheart is being sued by the parents of a 9-year-old boy who died after being struck by her car in June.

The parents of Jorge Cruz Jr. sued Gayheart on Monday for wrongful death, The Associated Press reports. They allege that the actress was talking on a cell phone when her Jeep Grand Cherokee hit their son on June 13 in Hollywood, Calif. The boy received severe head injuries and died the next day.

The accident is still under investigation and could result in the filing of criminal charges, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement issued Wednesday. According to the police statement, several cars had stopped to allow the boy to cross the street when Gayheart's Jeep entered a left-turn lane in order to pass slowing cars and struck him.

The actress, whose credits include Jawbreaker and Scream 2, released the following statement Wednesday to the entertainment program Access Hollywood: "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret over the accident. I send my prayers, thoughts, and deepest sympathy to the family.

"Despite the allegations in the lawsuit, the facts will establish that this was a most unfortunate accident. The pain of this tragedy will live with me forever," she said.

Gayheart, who will be 29 this Sunday, played Antonia Marchette, the wife of Dylan McKay (Luke Perry) on Beverly Hills, 90210 in 1995. She also appeared in the short-lived TV series Wasteland and Earth 2 and the movie Urban Legend, and she'll be seen in the upcoming Harvard Man.