HALLE BERRY: 'HIT-AND-RUN CHANGED MY LIFE'

Written by . Published: September 01 2010

Hollywood star Halle Berry's court-ordered community service stemming from her horrific 1997 hit-and-run car accident was a wake-up call that changed her life, and shifted her focus to charity work.


Berry was sentenced to 250 hours of community service for leaving the scene of the accident in West Hollywood, even though she suffered amnesia and needed 17 stitches in her forehead after the crash.

She fulfilled the court order by working at Los Angeles' Jenesse Center, a charity that helps battered women and their children make a fresh start.

And 13 years later, Berry still regularly volunteers with the organization - which has helped her realize the importance of giving back.

She says, "It changed my life. I hadn't been doing enough (for others). It was time."