Hulk Hogan's son injured in wreck

Investigators examine the totaled Toyota Celica Supra Nick Bollea, 17, had been driving. Bollea and a passenger, 22-year-old John J. Graziano, were airlifted to Bayfront Medical Center. [Times photo : Jim Damaske]

CLEARWATER -- Nick Bollea, the 17-year-old son of wrestling star Hulk Hogan, was discharged from Bayfront Medical Center this morning, a little more than 12 hours after losing control of his car and crashing into a downtown Clearwater median.

But his passenger, 22-year-old John Graziano, is still listed in critical condition, according to hospital spokeswoman Nancy Waite.

Bollea's mother, Linda Hogan, issued a statement Monday saying her son was still at the hospital with Graziano and his family.

"His sole concern is for the well being of his friend," Linda Hogan wrote. "On behalf of my family, we ask that your thoughts and prayers be with John and his loved ones."

Meanwhile, Clearwater police are continuing their investigation into the 7:30 p.m. Court Street crash.   

Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor cautioned reporters from making assumptions.

"When I say, 'There was no overt signs of impairment,' you shouldn't interpret it as 'police say alcohol or drugs were not involved.' Our investigation will be expansive and detailed; we'll jump to no conclusions, nor should you. We have many facts yet to establish. With that said, there were no obvious, overt signs of impairment at the scene of the crash," Shelor wrote.

Shelor said excessive speed was a factor in the crash. However, police have not yet determined how fast the car was traveling when it hit the tree. They also don't yet know if Bollea was racing.

"We have no tangible evidence at this point of the investigation of 'drag racing' or other such activity. We have many questions, and just as many facts and factors to establish or discount," Shelor wrote.

He said police are still at the earliest stages of what is likely to be a complex and lengthy investigation.

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Driver Nick Bollea, 17, also known as Nick Hogan, and passenger John J. Graziano, 22, had to be extracted from the crumpled Toyota Celica Supra.

The bright yellow car was traveling eastbound on Court St. around 7:30 p.m. when it hit the median, Shelor said.

Dennis Balila, who was in the yard of a nearby apartment complex, said he heard the loud screech and then saw the car flying backwards.

Bollea’s car skidded around 25 yards, spun around and crashed, trunk-first into a median palm tree, Shelor said.

Hulk Hogan arrived on the scene flanked by three Clearwater police officers, Balila said. For around 30 minutes, he went back and forth between the car and ambulance as the two young men were cut free, he said.

No charges have been filed as of early Monday.

A Robinson High School graduate, Hulk Hogan moved into a 17,000-square-foot Belleair mansion with his family in 1996.

Their faces became familiar at Tampa Bay area events.

In 2005, when the reality show “Hogan Knows Best” began airing on VH1, a national audience got a glimpse of the family’s life in Florida.

They put the 2.3-acre property up for sale in mid-2006 while filming the show, with a $25-million asking price. They then moved to a new $12-million bayfront estate on Miami Beach’s North Bay Road.

But later that year, the wrestler’s Realtor told the Times the Belleair home was no longer on the market. And Hogan said they never really left the area.

“They came back for the holidays and said this is home and they love the area,” Coldwell Banker Realtor Marcia Ellis said.

-- By Elena Lesley, Catherine Shoichet, Jon Abel and Nick Johnson.