Halle Berry Settles Suit Filed By Woman In February 2000 Car Crash

Jet, May 28, 2001

A woman who sued Halle Berry over a car accident on the Sunset Strip in California recently settled her lawsuit against the actress out of court.

Berry was sued by Hetal Raythatha for negligence after their cars collided in an intersection on the Sunset Strip area of West Hollywood in February 2000.

Berry had denied Raythatha's allegation that the award-winning actress was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. Berry has maintained all along that she remembered only going into the intersection and that the next thing she knew she was at her home nearby with blood all over her face (JET, March 27, 2000).

Berry pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene. She was ordered to pay $13,500 in fines, perform 200 hours of community service and sentenced to three years probation.

Neither Berry's attorney, Marty Singer, nor Raythatha's legal representative, Gloria Allred, revealed details of the settlement, but both acknowledged that the suit had been resolved.