Lindsay Lohan will be charged with the crime of lying to police  after her car accident in June on Pacific Coast Highway ... TMZ has  learned.

We broke the story ... Lohan told cops she was NOT behind the  wheel of her Porsche when it slammed into the back of an 18-wheeler.  Fact  is she was -- according to multiple witnesses.

Law enforcement sources  tell us ... the case will be filed as a misdemeanor by the Santa Monica City  Attorney ... possibly this week.

The charge could spell huge trouble for  Lindsay, because she's currently on probation for the jewelry heist.  The  criminal filing could trigger a probation violation, and Judge Stephanie  Sautner -- the jewelry judge -- could send her to the slammer for a  long, long time.

And law enforcement sources tell us ... cops found  prescription pills in her purse after the crash.  Witnesses tell us pills  were also scattered in her trunk.  Our sources say authorities were  prepared to charge LiLo with drug crimes, but Lindsay's lawyer, Shawn  Holley, gave cops documentations from Lindsay's doctor, saying the  pills were properly prescribed.  Authorities then backed off that  charge.

As for the charge of lying to cops, Lindsay almost dodged that  bullet.  You may recall, after the accident, Lindsay went to the hospital  where she was interviewed by cops, and that's when she told them she wasn't  behind the wheel.  Her lawyer, Shawn Holley, made a mad dash for the  hospital to muzzle her client (see video), but she was a few minutes too  late.


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