LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- A damaged black Lamborghini registered to Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs was found abandoned early Monday alongside an expressway on the city's North Side, but it was unclear if Briggs was driving.
Illinois State Police officials said the 2007 Roadster, which had crashed into a light pole, was discovered around 3:15 a.m.
"(The) registration comes back to Lance Briggs, however we don't know who was driving the car at the time," Master Sgt. Kyron St. Clair said.
Bears spokesman Scott Hagel declined to say if Briggs was in the vehicle when it crashed, but coach Lovie Smith said his linebacker's "spirits were good for being in a one-car accident."
Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said Briggs told him about the crash Monday morning.
"He said that he crashed the car or something, and I had to get to meetings, so I didn't have a chance to talk to him," said Ogunleye, who wasn't sure if Briggs was driving.
Briggs contacted the Illinois State Police on Monday and was to meet with authorities later in the day, Master Sgt. Luis Gutierrez said.
"He contacted us to discuss the whereabouts of his car," Gutierrez said.
Briggs, who has not addressed the media since reporting to training camp late last month, did not make himself available during Monday's open locker room period. And he had left practice to meet with authorities by the time reporters were admitted.
Briggs' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was not available for comment, according to his brother Jason, who also declined comment.
Police said it doesn't appear that anyone was injured in the crash. Whoever was behind the wheel of the luxury Italian sports car could face misdemeanor charges for improper lane usage and leaving the scene of the accident, St. Clair said.
The Cook County state's attorney's office could not comment on the case. According to the Illinois Compiled Statutes, a driver's license can be suspended for leaving the scene of a non-injury accident that causes more than $1,000 in damage.
If no one was injured, the driver does not have to take a blood, breath or urine test to detect drugs or alcohol, according to the statutes.
Smith became upset when reporters asked if alcohol was involved in the crash.
"Now, how did we get to that part?" Smith said. "We have a one-car accident, and now alcohol is involved? I think that's stretching a little bit to go that far."
Asked if the team would discipline Briggs, Smith responded: "Disciplined for what? For a one-car accident? No. He hasn't broken any team rules, as far as I know, so there's no reason to. At 3 o'clock, you'd like for your players to be in. Beyond that, people out at those times of the night are not always getting in trouble."
St. Clair said the vehicle, which has a Kelley Blue Book value of more than $350,000, had not been reported stolen. The temporary license plate shows the car was purchased Aug. 3 in Texas.
"He's here, and he's healthy, thank goodness," defensive end Alex Brown said. "We can replace the car. We can't replace Lance. We're glad he's OK."
News of the crash follows a rocky offseason for Briggs, a Pro Bowl linebacker who helped Chicago reach the Super Bowl last season.
Upset that the Bears slapped the franchise player tag on him, Briggs told the team to remove it or trade him. He also said he would sit out -- at first for the entire season and then for 10 games.
He eventually accepted the one-year, $7.2 million franchise tender offer in late July, and the team agreed not to apply the franchise tag in 2008.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
