Former WWE boss Vince McMahon allowed to enter pretrial program in reckless driving case

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon has been allowed to enter a pretrial program to resolve a reckless driving charge stemming from a crash this summer in Connecticut. A state Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that McMahon can participate in the program if he makes a $1,000 charitable contribution and only drives if he is properly licensed and insured. If he does, the charge of reckless driving and another charge of following too closely will be dismissed within one year. McMahon was accused of causing a July 24 crash on the Merritt Parkway in Westport that wrecked his Bentley and damaged two other cars, state police said. No one was injured in the crash, and the other drivers did not object to McMahon’s application for the pretrial program. According to the police report, McMahon was driving north on the parkway, also known as Route 15, when he rear-ended a BMW and crashed into a wooden guardrail. A car traveling in the southbound lanes was struck by debris from the crash that flew over the guardrail. McMahon did not speak during the brief hearing. His attorney, Mark Sherman, said afterward that “not every car accident is a crime. That’s what happened here, an accident.” McMahon stepped down as WWE CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. He also resigned last year as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending. McMahon bought the then World Wrestling Federation in 1982 and transformed it from a regional wrestling company into a global phenomenon. In addition to running the company with his wife, Linda, who is now the US Secretary of Education, he also performed as himself at WWE events.