Melissa Gilbert: 'I want to take Lindsay Lohan home with me'

Former child star Melissa Gilbert has offered fellow red-head Lindsay Lohan sanctuary at her home as the Mean Girls star fights another drama following an alleged hit-and-run incident in New York.

The former Little House on the Prairie star insists she's one of the few people who can appreciate what Lohan is going through as she transitions from child star to movie actress - and she wants to help.

Gilbert, a two-term president of the Screen Actors Guild, tells U.S. news show Entertainment Tonight, "I want to sort of pick her up and take her to my house and have her live with me for three months... (I'd say) 'I was you; I've been there. Let's fix this now'.

"I get very upset and protective (towards Lohan)."

Lohan has been in and out of trouble in recent years, leading to spells in jail and in rehab.

Police are currently investigating reports suggesting she hit a man while attempting to gain entrance to an underground parking garage.

The actress has been caught up in a few car-related dramas in recent months and she totalled her sportscar in Los Angeles earlier this summer (12) when she was involved in an accident on the Pacific Coast Highway.