Former NFL linebacker Junior Seau injured in drive off cliff

[Mendoza Line]

By the CNN Wire Staff
October 18, 2010 2:03 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- Former NFL linebacker Junior Seau was being treated at a hospital after he drove his white Cadillac SUV off a cliff Monday and landed on a beach in Carlsbad, California, police said.

He was taken to nearby Scripps La Jolla Hospital for the treatment, authorities said.

Law officers are investigating the cause of the accident, in which Seau was the vehicle's only occupant, police said. Carlsbad is 35 miles north of San Diego, where Seau played most of his career.

Drafted in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft out of the University of Southern California, Seau debuted with the San Diego Chargers, establishing his Hall of Fame credentials as a starring linebacker and Pro Bowl staple.

He left San Diego before the 2003 season to join the Miami Dolphins and spent parts of the last four seasons with the New England Patriots before retiring last January. Seau amassed 1,526 tackles, 56.5 sacks and 18 interceptions in his 20-year career.

Off the gridiron, Seau was the star of "Sports Jobs with Junior Seau," a reality show on the Versus network that followed him as he took on various behind-the-scenes occupations, from a baseball batboy to a bull fighter to a pro hockey equipment manager.

[Chris46139]

Was arrested for felony assault, got released and then this happened

[Mendoza Line]

Slideshow of accident scene.

Carlsbad Police: Ex-Charger Seau Drives SUV Off Cliff - Photos - KGTV San Diego

[Gerk]

Originally Posted by Chris46139

Was arrested for felony assault, got released and then this happened

Hopefully, not how it looks

[Mendoza Line]

Updated: October 18, 2010, 3:14 PM ET

Junior Seau drove his SUV off a cliff and landed close to the beach in Carlsbad, Calif., early Monday morning after the former All-Pro linebacker was arrested.

He escaped major injury.

Seau was arrested on a charge of felony spousal assault with injury, Oceanside, Calif., police reported in a statement. He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility early Monday morning and posted bail after 3 a.m. local time, the watch commander told ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Carlsbad police later responded to a 911 call of a single vehicle off the road and dispatched police and fire personnel. Seau's Cadillac SUV was found on the beach 30 feet below the roadside.

Seau, 41, was the only person in the vehicle and was transported to Scripps La Jolla Hospital. Police said Seau was conscious and and remains hospitalized with minor injuries, including cuts and bruises.

Richard Doan, who answered the phone of a woman who works for Seau's foundation, said Seau is shaken up but appeared to have escaped serious injury.

An investigation into the accident is ongoing.

Seau was arrested around midnight PT after a report was called in around 10 p.m. The victim was his 25-year-old live-in girlfriend, police said in a statement. She told police that Seau assaulted her during a verbal argument. The police said she sustained minor injuries that did not require medical attention.

Seau was not at the residence when police arrived. He later spoke with police by phone and agreed to return to his home. He was arrested without incident when he approached the residence, police said in the statement.

Seau was a star linebacker with the University of Southern California before going to the San Diego Chargers with the fifth pick overall in the 1990 draft. He led the Chargers to the Super Bowl following the 1994 season and remained in San Diego until being traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2003.

He left football briefly in August 2006 after 13 seasons with San Diego and three with Miami. He signed with the Patriots four days later and started 14 of the 27 games he played for them over two seasons. He retired after the 2007 season, then came out of retirement for the final four games in 2008 before retiring after that season. Seau played seven regular-season games in 2009, all as a backup, and made 15 tackles.

Seau's arrest and car accident were first reported by TMZ.com.

[Mendoza Line]

Originally Posted by Gerk

Hopefully, not how it looks

Pretty coincidental, if it's not how it looks.

[rjb1816]

he was distraught over the chargers 2-4 start

heyoooooooooooooo

[bigsportsguy2006]

great post here doza, damn, i had no clue about this

[Andre]

Just heard about it, was it a suicide attempt or something else??

[guzzi]

fixxed...

[bigsportsguy2006]

if its a suicide attempt, he woulda unbuckled his seat belt i hope .. .and if that was unbuckled, he woulda went thru the windshield and had the car land on him.

[Andre]

Originally Posted by bigsportsguy2006

if its a suicide attempt, he woulda unbuckled his seat belt i hope .. .and if that was unbuckled, he woulda went thru the windshield and had the car land on him.

From the pictures, it doesn't look like the SUV flipped over.