Back in December, Ben Affleck checked into rehab for the third time in 12 months.
Everything the actor does is news, and reports that Affleck was drinking again following his previous stint in treatment were widely reported in the tabloid press and on social media.
But it now looks as though in the weeks before he checked back into rehab, Ben managed to bury an incident that may shed light on his decision to seek further treatment.
According to Radar Online, Affleck was involved in a frightening motorcycle crash sometime last month.
No other vehicles were involved, and though he was thrown from his bike, Affleck reportedly emerged from the incident unscathed.
The actor was reportedly on his way to church at the time, and there’s no indication that he was intoxicated when he lost control of the motorcycle.
Of course, that’s not stopping skeptical fans from pointing out that the accident occurred within days of Ben’s most recent stint in rehab.
“Ben’s still pushing himself to the limits after the bust-up of his marriage to Jennifer Garner,” a source tells Radar.
“And this time, friends are worried he’s pushing himself too far,” the insider adds.
While Affleck didn’t appear to suffer any major injuries, friends and family are reportedly concerned that the Oscar winner may suffer long-term damage from a blow to the head:
“His head took the brunt of the fall” a source confirms.
“He was wearing a helmet, but God knows what sort of damage he may have suffered.”
Ben reportedly refused medical treatment and left the scene abruptly, which many are taking as another indication that he may have had an elevated BAC at the time of the crash.
“You can usually spot injuries with an X-ray or CT scan within the first 24 hours of a serious trauma to the head or neck,” trauma expert Dr. Stuart Fischer tells Radar.
“But without this kind of testing, serious injuries can go undetected for weeks, or even months–and by then it may be too late.”
Again, it does not appear that legal authorities have any reason to suspect Ben of driving while intoxicated.
But given that he was believed to be on the wagon at the time of the crash and was on his way to meet his children at church, he may have feared that trace amounts of booze were still in his system from the night before.
The actor might have had reason to flee the scene even though there was no possibility of legal charges.
After all, the court of public opinion can be much less sympathetic than a criminal judge.
