Schwarzenegger broke law, say police

Published on Wednesday 11 January 2006 12:03

CALIFORNIA governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle illegally when he collided with a car at the weekend, police say.

Lt Paul Vernon said Schwarzenegger did not have the proper motorcycle endorsement on his California driving licence, contradicting statements made by his spokeswoman since Sunday's accident that left the governor with 15 stitches in his upper lip.

"He does not have the (proper) licence," Vernon said.

Police did not charge the Hollywood actor-turned politician because they arrived after the accident, Vernon said.

The case has been referred to the Los Angeles city attorney's office, which will determine whether the governor should be cited for an infraction.

However, Schwarzenegger's spokeswoman Margita Thompson said the governor's basic Class C licence allowed him to ride the motorcycle with its sidecar attached. His 12-year-old son, Patrick, was riding in the sidecar but was not injured.