The Labor Day Knucklehead Award Marathon Part Eleven

Our eleventh winner today is Lance Briggs. He gets the award for the following.

LAKE FOREST, Ill - Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs said he panicked after crashing his new Lamborghini along a highway early Monday morning and initially reported his car stolen after abandoning the mangled vehicle.

Speaking to reporters after practice on Tuesday, Briggs said he called a tow truck after leaving the scene and then reported his 2007 Murcielago was stolen.

"When it happened, the first thing I did was, obviously, I panicked," Briggs said. "I didn't want there to be a big scene there. And so I left the scene. When I left, I called the tow truck. I also was startled, and I called to report that my car was stolen. Within probably 10 minutes, I called back and accepted responsibility for what I did because it was ridiculous in the first place."

Illinois State Police said they have no record of Briggs reporting a stolen vehicle. They did say that Briggs placed a 9-1-1 call at around 4 a.m. Monday, after initially saying he did not call police until sometime between 8 a.m. and 9.

But Master Sgt. Luis Gutierrez said Briggs gave "no indication of his car being stolen" during either call.

Illinois police found the abandoned vehicle, which had hit a light pole and a concrete bridge support, alongside the Edens Expressway on the city's North Side around 3:15 a.m.

Briggs was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor, and was given traffic citations for failure to give immediate notice of an accident and improper lane usage, when he met with police on Monday afternoon. He was released after posting $100 bond and is scheduled to appear Oct. 4 in a Cook County court.

Leaving the scene carries a maximum 364 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to Gutierrez.

Whether Briggs reported the car stolen or not, he showed a clear lack of brains by leaving the scene of the accident. He probably doesn't deserve jail time, but the NFL should penalize or fine him in some way. Lance Briggs also gets eleventh Knucklehead of the Day.

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