Director: Shia Was Not Drunk During Crash

By Caris Davis

08/01/2008 at 08:30 AM EDT

Shia LaBeouf may have been arrested for DUI after Sunday's car accident – but Transformers director Michael Bay insists the actor was not impaired.

"He was not drunk," Bay tells Access Hollywood in an interview slated to air Friday. "He was drinking hours and hours before."

But the director – currently working with LaBeouf on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – claims that he did warn his young star about road safety shortly before the crash.

"We had a little heart to heart the week before when he bought a brand new motorcycle," Bay told the TV show. "I [said], 'Dude! You cannot ride that motorcycle! If you crash, you put 1,500 people out of work.' He said, 'Ok, I won't ride it, I won't ride it. I'll just drive my truck.' "

The 22-year-old actor was behind the wheel of that truck early Sunday morning, when it reportedly flipped over following a collision with another car. (Police have said he may not be responsible for the accident.)

LaBeouf was taken to the hospital for extensive hand surgery. (His passenger, Transformers costar Isabel Lucas, was not seriously injured.)

"[Shia's] two fingers are pretty mashed, but we're figuring out a way to shoot around it, kind of write it in the story," Bay says.

In the meantime, the director is unwavering in his support for the Indiana Jones star.

"The kid really has his head together," he says. "He's doing a great job on this movie. He's really matured since the last one and I love working with him."