By Jessica Benson and Crystal Bozek
Staff writers
April 20, 2008 10:01 pm The city was thrust into the international spotlight over the weekend as news spread around the globe of a Hollywood star's close call in an accident with an accused drunk driver in East Gloucester Square. Police say a 64-year-old Gloucester woman was behind the wheel of a station wagon that swerved into the path of a sports utility vehicle carrying two famous passengers: actress Sandra Bullock, star of such movies as "Crash" and "Speed," and her husband, Jesse James, of the motorcycling-building show "Monster Garage." The couple, in town while Bullock films the Disney romantic comedy "The Proposal," were being driven away from the set when the head-on crash took place shortly before 10 p.m. No one was hurt, and Bullock and James were whisked away by her security team minutes later. But the other driver, Lucille P. Gatchell, of 19A Starknaught Heights, didn't fare as well: she was arrested and charged with drunken driving. And with the arrest came a media frenzy, as Gloucester police found themselves spending the weekend answering questions from reporters both near and far. "We've gotten like 5 million calls on this," said Sgt. Chris Cook. Cook said the officers at the scene described Bullock, 43, as being very nice. "I guess that's part of her appeal. She always comes off as being very sweet in her movies, and it must come naturally," he said. "She was concerned about this lady, even though it was this lady who caused the accident." She is also known for starring roles in "28 Days," "The Lake House," "Miss Congeniality," and "While You Were Sleeping." Bullock has been in Rockport filming her latest project, "The Proposal," about a high-powered publishing executive (Bullock) with an expired visa who is trying to avoid deportation to Canada by convincing her assistant, played by Ryan Reynolds, to marry her. Cape Ann has been transformed into the Alaskan town of Sitka, where the movie is set. Bullock knows a thing or two about accidents, and not just from action movies she has starred in like "Crash" and "Speed" — in 2000, she walked away unhurt after a plane crash in Wyoming. She also reportedly has a scar near her left eye from when, as a child, she fell into a lake and hit her head on a rock. Friday night, police found Bullock and her husband hugging each other near the wreckage of the two vehicles, both of which had to be towed away by Tally's. The SUV, driven by Mark Hussey, 55, of Londonderry, N.H., was a rental from Enterprise. When police talked to her, they say Bullock seemed more worried about the other driver than herself. "Mrs. Bullock was very personable and was concerned for (Gatchell's) well-being," said Patrolman Kevin Mackey, the investigating officer. Mackey found Gatchell's car stopped on the wrong side of the road, with Gatchell still in the driver's seat and smelling like alcohol, according to his report. Mackey wrote that Gatchell's eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and her speech was "extremely slurred." She also failed several field sobriety tests, nearly falling over twice during the "heel-to-toe" test, according to Mackey. "She was very unsteady on her feet," he wrote. "She appeared dazed and confused as I spoke with her." Gatchell was released on bail shortly after her arrest. No one answered the door at her East Gloucester home last night. Police noted that minor crashes and drunk driving arrests are typical fare for a Friday night — except that this time, star power was involved. It proves that anyone can become a victim of an impaired driver, said police Lt. Jerris Cook. "No matter how rich and famous you are, you're vulnerable to drunk drivers," he said. The crash set off a whirlwind of excitement almost immediately. A crowd gathered at the scene, with locals snapping pictures and gawking, police said. By the next day, the news had spread around the world. Televisions stations, major newspapers and Hollywood magazines began calling; Lt. Cook said he even fielded calls from international journalists on Saturday afternoon. Because of the attention the case was getting, Cook said he had some sympathy for Gatchell, who suddenly found herself in the spotlight and featured on front pages of newspapers yesterday. "I'm sure she didn't know what she was doing," he said. "I'm sure the woman isn't a bad woman. Unfortunately, she hit a star and it made international news." Gatchell hadn't realized who she had hit until after her arrest, when she was in handcuffs in the back seat of Mackey's cruiser, according to Mackey's report. The officer said she giggled when he told her that Sandra Bullock had been in the other vehicle. Gatchell admitted to drinking wine before the crash, telling Mackey she had two glasses, he wrote in his report. A Breathalyzer test recorded her blood alcohol level at .20, more than twice the legal limit of .08. A witness driving behind her told police she crossed over the center line several times. He had been in the process of calling 911 to report her when she crashed into the SUV. Hussey was driving the SUV an estimated 15 to 20 miles per hour when he saw the other car headed right for him. He tried to swerve out of the way, but was unable to avoid the collision, he told police. Police described his driving as "perfectly fine." Gatchell, on the other hand, was charged with failure to stay within marked lanes, in addition to the drunk driving charge. She will be arraigned in District Court on Tuesday. Today, shooting on "The Proposal" is expected to continue. Preparations were being made yesterday for scenes to be shot at Cripple Cove Landing in East Gloucester, starting early this morning.
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