Ronaldo to be quizzed over Ferrari tunnel crash and may face prosecution

CRISTIANO RONALDO faces possible criminal charges over the crash which wrecked his £200,000 Ferrari.

Police are expected to interview Ronaldo on Monday as part of their investigation. The 23-year-old footballer could be charged with careless or even dangerous driving.

Ronaldo today insisted he was not to blame for yesterday's crash in a tunnel close to Manchester airport - claiming his car had skidded on a patch of oil or "moisture" on the road, according to a Portuguese newspaper.

Greater Manchester Police's collision reconstruction unit is trying to piece together how the crash happened. A spokesman said: "We will speak to Ronaldo in due course. We have our own work to do at the scene."

Officers spoke to Ronaldo immediately after the accident but will interview him at length, a police source told the Evening Standard. The source added: "Speaking hypothetically, a crash which does not involve any other car could lead to a charge of careless or dangerous driving." The maximum sentence for motorists convicted of dangerous driving is two years' jail, a minimum one-year driving ban and an unlimited fine. The maximum penalty for a conviction for careless driving is a fine and three to nine penalty points.

Police could also offer Ronaldo the chance to attend a driver improvement course.

The European footballer of the year was on his way to Manchester United's training ground when he wrote off his Ferrari 599 GTB. He walked away from the crash unscathed and got a lift to training from goalkeeper Edwin van de Sar, who was travelling behind him.

The joke going around the City today is that when Ronaldo was first questioned by police, he said: "It wasn't my fault, the wall wasn't 10 yards back."