The stars don't seem to approve of socialite Paris Hilton's relationship with vehicles. After the 26-year-old reality TV star made news last September for driving under the influence of alcohol, she was once again nabbed on Tuesday night for driving her car without switching on the headlights, all the while being on suspended license.
The incident occurred at 11 pm on Tuesday when Paris was pulled over at the Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood city after the traffic cops found her driving without her headlights on. A quick investigation revealed that the celebrity socialite was driving on a license that was suspended due to the earlier traffic offense. “After investigating her license status, it was determined that (Paris) was driving on a suspended license. She was cited for a suspended license violation and released in the field. Her 2007 blue Bentley Continental GTC was impounded,” Oscar Butao, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department was quoted as saying.
The traffic offense might be in violation of the three-year probation that was handed down to Paris in January this year for the September 2006 DUI. The
Simple Life star also had to shell out US$1,500 as fines for that offense. According to a LA City Attorney's Office spokesperson, if found guilty of the probation violation, Paris may get a jail sentence of as many as three months.
There is also a possibility of her probation period being extended. In addition, Paris could get fines and/or community service as punishment. Another official of the city attorney's office said that he was waiting for the citation to establish the status of Paris' probation and action would be taken accordingly. “Once we're able to verify that Paris was driving the vehicle, we will request that the court revoke her probation and set a probation violation hearing,” the official said. The socialite might not get her US$190,000 Bentley, which she bought last Christmas, back for a month.
Meanwhile, Paris' publicist Elliot Mintz said his client was unaware that she was not allowed to drive during her probation and had committed the headlight error unknowingly. “I don't believe Paris knew whether or not she was allowed to drive. I don't know if that information had been clearly communicated to her,” he said, adding that the socialite had called him up on being pulled over to ask if her driving privileges had been revoked. Mintz said he himself was not aware if that was the case. Paris was on her way to buy some DVDs when she pulled out of the parking lot and forgot to switch her headlights on. She was not tested for alcohol, nor was she found to be speeding, Mintz said.
The year did not start off too well for the hotel heiress as besides her traffic woes, her personal life once again came under the scanner when in January this year, a Web site threatened to expose her private life and personal items including diaries, love letters, videos, pictures and medicines, obtained when a locker hired by Paris was sold to a couple because of non-payment of dues. The couple, in turn, sold it to the site owner for US$10 million, but invited the socialite's wrath and a lawsuit filed towards January-end. A temporary injunction was issued to prevent the publishing of the personal material on the Web site and the matter is pending in court.
