Former AFL star Ben Cousins is in a stable condition under police guard in hospital after suffering minor injuries in a car crash with a truck overnight while a warrant was out for his arrest.
Cousins, 38, failed to appear in Armadale Magistrates Court on Tuesday to face two counts of breaching a violence restraining order and one count of possessing methamphetamine.
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Ben Cousins in hospital after High Wycombe crash
There are reports troubled footballer Ben Cousins is in hospital after he was involved in a crash near High Wycombe. Vision: Nine News Perth.
Police and ambulance officers confirmed a man received minor injuries in the crash on Abernethy Road, near the corner of Dundan Road in High Wycombe about 1.30am on Wednesday.
It is understood Cousins was treated at the scene but was conscious and breathing before being transferred to the emergency department at Royal Perth Hospital, while the truck driver involved did not require treatment.
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The crash in the busy industrial area closed Abernethy Road in both directions until 3.30am while police investigated the incident.
Former AFL star Ben Cousins has been injured in a crash with a truck. Updates - https://t.co/KXomPDfGTf #7News https://t.co/H8zpKxgchH
— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) November 22, 2016
ABC reported that WA Police issued a suppression on information about the crash or any details leading up to it after a warrant was issued for Cousins' arrest after his no-show in court on Tuesday.
Cousins, who remains under arrest for his non-appearance in court, is being assessed by doctors at the hospital and will then be interviewed by WA Police about the car crash.
The former West Coast captain and 2005 Brownlow medalist was due to appear in court over an alleged incident last month involving his ex-partner Maylea Elizabeth Tinecheff, the mother of his two children aged three and five.
But Cousins didn't show, leaving Magistrate Geoff Lawrence with no option but to issue the order for his arrest when court ended for the day.
Mr Lawrence noted Cousins told his lawyer, Michael Tudori, on Tuesday morning he was too unwell to appear but he did not provide the court with a medical certificate, prompting the magistrate to issue an arrest warrant.
"Enough has been said about Ben. I just feel for him and his family and hope he gets better." JL on Ben Cousins.
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) November 23, 2016
AFL operations manager Mark Evans described the latest Cousins incident as distressing.
"I know there are a lot of very good people who have been trying to help and I couldn't knock them one iota in terms of the number of times or the amount of support they've offered," he told SEN radio.
"Ultimately, Ben has to be in a place where he is going to accept that support and that won't be an easy thing, given his current circumstances."
Last month, Cousins was granted bail on the drug and VRO charges but was warned he would be jailed if he breached the conditions.
Magistrate Sandra De Maio also relaxed the conditions of his VRO so Cousins could communicate with the mother of his children via text message but only about parenting issues.
History of mental health and drug battles
Cousins has battled drug addiction throughout his AFL career and after it ended in 2010.
The 38-year-old was last detained by police, and then hospitalised, in late June after interfering with traffic on Canning Highway in Como while in a dazed state.
At one stage he was banned for a year from football while contracted to the Eagles and had several run-ins with police after Richmond threw him a lifeline in 2009.
The 2005 Brownlow medallist was spared jail last year for a bizarre episode in which he trespassed at a Sikh temple in Canning Vale.
In the subsequent court case, a lawyer for Cousins said his client had been mentally ill at the time of incident, had been hospitalised rather than locked up and had taken a fencing job in Collie.
When former Eagles teammate Chris Judd launched his autobiography Inside last October, he said Cousins seemed to be "doing well" when they caught up recently.
Even West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett, on the eve of the club's 10-year premiership celebrations, touched on the Brownlow medallist's battle, saying he would forgo that 2006 success in exchange for the good mental health of Cousins and other troubled ex-Eagles from that side.
Cousins' on-field career garnered just about every honour imaginable, including six All-Australian jumpers and his 2005 Brownlow triumph.
But there was just as much drama off it, with West Coast forced to take the captaincy of its favourite son after he famously avoided a booze bus by jumping into the Canning River.
He was eventually sacked by the club in 2007 after several failed stints in rehab and finished his career after two seasons at Richmond in 2009 and 2010, for a total of 270 career AFL games.
- with AAP