Temecula, California — Actress and reality TV star Tori Spelling was hospitalized along with seven children following a serious car accident on Thursday, April 2, in this Riverside County city, according to reports from law enforcement sources. The 52-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210 alum was driving an SUV with the children aboard when another vehicle allegedly sped through a red light and struck them, prompting a rapid response from emergency services.
Officers arrived at the scene in Temecula shortly after the collision, where they found Spelling's vehicle damaged and the occupants in need of medical attention. According to TMZ, which cited law enforcement officials, Spelling had four of her own children and three others in the car at the time. In a potential act of quick thinking, Spelling reportedly maneuvered her SUV at the last second to mitigate the impact, possibly averting more severe injuries to those inside.
All individuals from both vehicles involved were evaluated by paramedics on site, but no arrests were made, per the reports. Footage circulating from the aftermath captured Spelling speaking with police officers in front of her wrecked SUV, appearing shaken but cooperative. The seven children and Spelling were then transported to a nearby hospital in three separate ambulances for treatment of injuries including cuts, bruises, contusions, and concussions, TMZ reported.
Us Weekly, which first detailed the incident, noted that representatives for Spelling could not be immediately reached for comment. It remains unclear which specific four of Spelling's five children were present in the vehicle. She shares 19-year-old Liam Aaron, 17-year-old Stella Doreen, 14-year-old Hattie Margaret, 13-year-old Finn Davey, and 9-year-old Beau Dean with her ex-husband, Dean McDermott. The couple, married for 17 years, separated in June 2023 and finalized their divorce in December 2025.
The accident marks a troubling echo of a previous incident in Spelling's life, when she was involved in another serious car crash in 2011 while pregnant. At that time, Spelling was attempting to evade paparazzi near her children's elementary school in Los Angeles. With Liam and Stella in the car, she reversed into the school building, taking down an entire wall, as she later described on social media.
In a tweet from June 2011, Spelling recounted the chaos: “Paparazzi chased me w/the kids 2 school. I was trying to get away from him and had a pretty big accident. Took down whole wall of school.” She further alleged that the pursuing photographer emerged from his vehicle amid the wreckage to take pictures, prompting outrage from onlookers. “[The photographer] then STILL got out to try to get pics,” she wrote. “Ten school moms chased him away. What will it take? Someone dying for paparazzi to stop?”
Spelling addressed the 2011 crash publicly on Good Morning America in July of that year, clarifying her role in the event while attributing the circumstances to media intrusion. “The car accident was caused by me: Was it induced because of paparazzi? Yes,” she said during the ABC News interview. She expressed deep embarrassment over the incident, particularly for inadvertently drawing photographers to the school grounds. No charges were filed against Spelling in connection with that collision.
Thursday's accident in Temecula unfolded under different conditions, with no immediate mention of paparazzi involvement. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the other driver allegedly ran the red light, suggesting fault lay with the oncoming vehicle. However, details on the second driver's condition or identity have not been released, and investigations are ongoing, according to reports.
Spelling, known for her long-running role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210 from 1990 to 2000, has maintained a public profile through reality television and podcasts. Recently, she has been open about personal challenges, including her divorce from McDermott and co-parenting their five children. In interviews, she has emphasized her commitment to family amid these transitions.
The hospitalization of Spelling and the children has raised concerns among her fans and Hollywood circles, given the vulnerability of young passengers in such incidents. Temecula, a suburban community about 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles, is not typically a hotspot for celebrity sightings, making the crash's location somewhat unexpected. Local authorities have not issued a formal statement beyond confirming the response to the scene.
Medical updates on the victims remain limited, with TMZ reporting that all were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The three additional children in the car—whose relation to Spelling was not specified—were also hospitalized, highlighting the broader impact on what appears to have been a group outing or carpool arrangement. Spelling's quick maneuver, as described by sources, may have been pivotal; officials noted that the positioning of her SUV likely absorbed much of the collision's force.
This event comes at a time when Spelling has been teasing a return to reality TV in 2026, with multiple projects in development. She recently shared a new bob haircut on social media, captioning it, 'I Cut My Own Hair and I Like It,' signaling a period of personal reinvention. Yet, the car accident underscores the unpredictable risks of everyday travel, even for public figures accustomed to high-visibility lives.
Broader implications of the crash extend to road safety in California, where red-light violations contribute to thousands of accidents annually. The California Highway Patrol reported over 1,200 injury crashes involving signal violations in Riverside County alone in recent years, though specific statistics for Temecula were unavailable at press time. Experts in traffic safety often stress the importance of defensive driving, a tactic Spelling reportedly employed.
As Spelling recovers, questions linger about the full extent of the injuries and any potential legal ramifications for the at-fault driver. Us Weekly and TMZ continue to monitor the situation, with hopes for positive updates on the actress and the children's conditions. For now, the incident serves as a stark reminder of past traumas for Spelling, who has long navigated the perils of fame alongside family responsibilities.
In the wake of the hospitalization, supporters have flooded social media with well-wishes, reflecting Spelling's enduring popularity. Whether this accident will prompt further public reflection on her 2011 experience or influence her upcoming projects remains to be seen. Officials in Temecula have urged drivers to exercise caution at intersections, emphasizing that such collisions are preventable with adherence to traffic laws.