Callyfornia- KFI NEWS has learned California Governor Arnold Schwarzengger does not have a motorcycle endorsement on his driver license, though an exemption for side cars means he didn't break any laws Sunday when he was involved in a collision on Mandeville Canyon Road. "The governor has acknowledged he does not have the license," spokeswoman Margita Thompson told KFI NEWS Monday, though she says the governor now promises to get one. A Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman explained Schwarzenegger has a Class C license, which entitles him to operate a motorcycle with (emphasis added) a sidecar -- even without the motorcycle endorsement.
Back story: LOS ANGELES -- Recalling his days as one Hollywood's most popular action heroes, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday a weekend accident won't stop him from riding motorcycles.
As an actor, he said, he had to sign contracts covering possible injuries from stunts.
"I did all those things anyway," Schwarzenegger said. "I never played by the rules."
The governor received 15 stitches in his lip after he and his 12-year-old son Patrick were involved in the accident Sunday near their Los Angeles home, his spokeswoman Margita Thompson said. His son was uninjured.
Schwarzenegger made his first public appearance since the accident when he spoke Monday morning at the WIC Clinic in North Hollywood. The governor mentioned his mishap and spoke about health care.
"As you can see, I have some stitches in my lips," Schwarzenegger said. "It's because of my motorcycle accident. It's not because of what normally happens when you see someone in Hollywood with swollen lips, which is collagen shots. This is no plastic surgery or anything like that.
"The doctor told me that I should not do any events for three days. He also said I should not speak for three days. My wife said, 'Make is seven.' "
The left side of Schwarzenegger's upper lip was swollen and puffy but did not affect his speech or appear to cause much pain.
Schwarzenegger was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle with his son in a sidecar when another driver backed into the street, Thompson said. The governor collided with the car at low speed.
He and his son were treated for cuts and bruises at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica and released. Both were wearing helmets.
The other driver was uninjured. No citations were issued in the accident in the city's Brentwood section, said Officer Jason Lee, a police spokesman.
In December 2001, Schwarzenegger broke six ribs and was hospitalized for four days after a motorcycle crash in Los Angeles.
The accident occurred when a car stopped in front of him and he was unable to change lanes to avoid the vehicle. His ribs were broken when his chest hit the motorcycle windshield.
