Hulk Hogans son in serious condition

(CNN)
-- A high-speed car accident in Florida has left the teenage son of
wrestling star Hulk Hogan seriously injured and a companion in critical
condition late Sunday, police said.

Nick Bollea, 17, was the driver of a Toyota Supra that went out of
control while driving at a "high rate of speed" about 7:30 p.m. Sunday,
said Wayne Shelor, a spokesman for the Clearwater police in Clearwater,
Florida.

The car "inexplicably left the roadway," jumped across a raised
median and slammed into a palm tree just east of downtown, Shelor said.

"It destroyed the car," he said.

Firefighters had to extract Bollea and his passenger, whose identity
was not immediately released, from the wreckage. Both were flown to a
hospital in nearby St. Petersburg, Florida, Shelor said.

"They're both down there. Nick's father is down there," he said. Video Watch Hulk Hogan on the scene with the mangled car »

Hulk Hogan, one of the top professional wrestlers of the 1980s and
1990s, is now featured in the VH1 reality show "Hogan Knows Best." His
son, wife Linda and daughter Brooke regularly appear on the show.

One episode documented the son's interest in a type of high-speed car racing known as "drifting."

Shelor said there was no evidence of drag racing or "drifting" in Sunday's wreck.

Police said Bollea -- known to viewers as "Nick Hogan" -- was not as
seriously hurt as his passenger, who was listed as critical.

Shelor said the wreck forced police to shut down mile-long Court
Street, the main east-west road through central Clearwater, as they
investigated the accident.

"I will have this road closed for a minimum of four hours," he said. "It was a spectacular wreck.

CLEARWATER --

(AP) -- The son of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan was seriously injured in a car crash Sunday night, police said.

A Toyota Supra driven by Nick Bollea was traveling at a high rate of
speed at approximately 7:30 p.m., Clearwater police spokesman Wayne
Shelor said. Bollea, which is Hogan's real name, lost control and hit a
raised median. The car flipped around, and the back end hit a palm tree.

''The car was destroyed,'' Shelor said.

Bollea and an unidentified male passenger were rescued from the car
by paramedics, Shelor said. Then they were airlifted to Bayfront
Medical Center in St. Petersburg. Their official conditions were not
immediately available, but Shelor described the injuries of both men as
serious.

The crash occurred on SR 60, which is a main drag through downtown
Clearwater. The road had to be shut down in both directions for several
hours, Shelor said.

Alcohol is not believed to have played a part in the crash. The crash seems to have been caused by excessive speed, Shelor said.

Bollea appears on the reality TV show ''Hogan Knows Best'' with his father, mother and sister.