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Lance Briggs Charged In Lamborghini Crash

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Lance Briggs Charged In Lamborghini Crash

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CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman, Jay Levine, WBBM Newsradio 780 and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (CBS) ― Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs was charged Monday afternoon after his brand new Lamborghini was found crashed and abandoned on the Edens Expressway.

Briggs contacted Illinois State Police Monday morning and was charged with a misdemeanor and two traffic citations, but lots of questions remain.

Illinois State Police said they found the black 2007 Lamborghini Roadster crashed into a guardrail and light pole on the northbound Edens near Devon Avenue around 3:15 a.m. Police confirmed Briggs was driving the car.

Long ruts from the car's wheels were visible in the grassy shoulder along the highway Monday morning.

Police said Briggs contacted them Monday morning and officers met with him at Illinois State Police District Headquarters in Des Plaines at 4 p.m. Monday. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor, and failure to give immediate notice and improper lane usage.

Briggs, who's got a good reputation and no criminal record at all, didn't say a word as he left state police headquarters. He was released on $100 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 4 in Skokie.

State police say they may never know if alcohol was involved. They didn't see Briggs until 13 hours after the crash. No one answered the door when they went to his north suburban home Monday morning.

Investigators still don't know why he left the scene of the accident or where he'd been. His attorney, the son of a former criminal court judge advised him not to answer those questions.

The Lamborghini, worth a reported $350,000, sustained significant damage and was towed from the scene to a Morton Grove garage.

Briggs was kept away from reporters at practice; many teammates woke up to the news on television or radio but didn't know much more until they got to Halas Hall.

"No one really knows exactly what happened," said Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher. "So we're just trying to have a good day at practice, try to get us another win next week."

"It was a tough ride to Halas today, but when I saw him everything just turned back to normal, so it was good," said Bears linebacker Jamar Williams.

Briggs was at practice Monday, but left early to talk to state police investigators.

Bears Coach Lovie Smith said Briggs is cooperating and he was satisfied with Briggs' explanation.

"He hasn't broken any team rules, so far as I know," Smith said. "I feel good about what he's told me. Right now we're going to let him deal with the authorities. We would like for no bad news to come towards the NFL and of course our organization, and, as I see it right now, that hasn't happened."

And Smith, while annoyed with one of his stars being out that late, seemed equally upset with speculation about why Briggs left the scene without reporting the accident.

"We have a one car accident, and now alcohol was involved?" he said. "I think that's stretching it a bit to go that far."

Briggs took possession of the car on August 3rd.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash and it doesn't appear anyone was hurt. The car was found with temporary Texas license plates. There were no witnesses to the crash. Sources said there were only about 400 miles on the odometer.

Tony Lundin, of Lin-Mar Motors, which towed the Lamborghini from the Edens, said Briggs wouldn't be able to drive the Lamborghini anytime soon. "Absolutely not. It's just too severe suspension damage."

A source told Newsradio 780 the car was in a photo shoot Sunday and that a north suburban auto shop was supposed to put a #55 image on the vehicle. Briggs' jersey number is 55.

Bears spokesman Scott Hagel tells CBS 2 News that all he could say about the case is that "it was his car, he's OK and he's here," referring to Halas Hall, the Bears headquarters in Lake Forest.

Briggs' agent could not be reached for a statement.

The Bears drafted Briggs, 26, in 2003 and he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2006 and 2007.

He had been the subject of a lengthy contract dispute this summer after the Bears placed the franchise tag on him. He had threatened to sit out the season rather than accept the one-year, $7.2 million contract that came with the tag, and at one point said he would never play for the Bears Again.

Briggs later altered his stance, threatening to sit out only 10 games so that he would still qualify for a full season under NFL rules.

Last month, he ended his holdout and accepted the $7.2 million contract in exchange for the Bears promise not to apply the tag again after the 2007 season. Briggs has yet to explain why he changed his mind.

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