Driver who hurt actor Brosnan's son in crash begins jail time

LOS ANGELES(Reuters) – A driver who seriously injured the son of actor Pierce Brosnan in a car crash in Malibu, Calif., last April began serving a six-month jail term Monday in connection with the accident.

James Hall, 20, pleaded no contest Jan. 30 to one count of drunken driving causing injury, Deputy District Attorney Martin Herscovitz said. Hall, a native of England who had been living in Malibu, surrendered to authorities on Monday and began serving a six-month jail term, the official added.

Brosnan’s son, Sean Brosnan, 16, of Malibu, suffered serious abdominal injuries while riding with four other passengers in a Chevrolet Blazer driven by Hall that tumbled about 200 feet down a steep cliff near Malibu on April 22.

The younger Brosnan was the most seriously injured of the passengers. His family, along with another person in the car, waived their right to restitution from Hall, Herscovitz said. A hearing will be held next month to determine whether Hall would be required to compensate a third passenger.

At the time of the accident Hall told authorities he was traveling 30 miles (48.2 km) per hour and swerved to avoid a rock, when the Blazer plunged over the side.

Pierce Brosnan, the latest actor to play British secret agent James Bond, thanked Los Angeles rescue workers for “taking my son and his friends from the jaws of death.”