Boston Professional Athlete DUI Stories – Drinking and Driving
It appears drinking and driving charges are happening more often with professional athletes. In Massachusetts alone, adults who report drinking and driving are higher than the National Average. The following are some of the drunk driving incidents that have occurred with professional teams in Boston and the New England Patriots.
Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins
The most recent drinking and driving arrest, Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins on June 24, 2016. He rear-ended a mini-van while driving his Mercedes Benz and by his admission, said he had “a few drinks.” Later testing found his blood alcohol level was .249, more than three times the limit.
This Hockey Hall of Famer was given one-year probation after admitting to a charge of drunk driving. He was handed a 45-day suspension of his driver’s license and a 180-day suspension for not taking a breath test while on the scene, and he also has to attend drug and alcohol classes.
Michael Floyd, New England Patriots
On December 12, 2016, the New England Patriot’s receiver Michael Floyd, who was a member of the Arizona Cardinals at the time of his arrest, was found in Scottsdale, AZ, unconscious, sitting at an intersection after drinking and driving. Just one day after this incident, he was picked up by the New England Patriots.
When police officers found him, they had to wake him up and help him out of his vehicle to the nearest sidewalk. Later that morning, Floyd was booked and released. Police confirmed his blood alcohol level was .217, however, the blood draw did not happen until about 1 ½ hours later. Charges included: obstructing a roadway, DUI impaired to the slightest degree, DUI blood alcohol content above .08 and failure to obey a police officer, BAC of .15 or more and BAC of .20 or more; a total of six charges of which all were Class 1 misdemeanors. He had dealings with the police and drinking and driving while at Notre Dame including three alcohol-related occurrences with a DUI arrest.
Drake Britton, Boston Red Sox
In March 2013, Drake Britton found himself arrested for drinking and driving in Estero, FL. He was in his Chevy Pickup driving at speeds upwards of 111 mph in a 45-mph zone. As officers chased him, they watched him swerve through traffic, jump a curb, knock down a barbed-wire fence where he ended up on a dirt road. The chase continued until the vehicle stopped in the woods.
Once stopped, Britton admitted he had been drinking, yet declined the Breathalyzer test. Officers reported slurred speech, bloodshot, watery eyes and the strong smell of alcohol. When they asked him for his driver’s license, he gave them a credit card. He was arrested and brought to the Lee County Jail and charging him with DUI, DUI property damage and reckless driving. Britton was let go later in the day after posting bond.
Bobby Jenks, Boston Red Sox
Bobby Jenks, the pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, was in Ft. Myers, FL where he was arrested and charged with DUI, damaging property and leaving the scene of a crash in March of 2012 at a local strip club.
Jenks admitted to the police he had taken too many muscle relaxers. Months later he had two back surgeries. His breath test came back with a .000, which is why he was unable to provide and urine sample, although he attempted.
Officers saw Jenks driving a white Mercedes Benz SUV, making a turn going too fast. The car went through three lanes of traffic before driving onto a sidewalk. At this point, he was pulled over, and when officers questioned him about why he thought this was happening, he replied with, “Probably because I was all over the road back there… Because I took too many muscle relaxers.” He also admitted to hitting another vehicle at the strip club and claimed, “I just had to get out of there.”
Jenks went through the field sobriety test stating that he knew he was going to fail it. He spent a night in jail and was released the following day after posting bail.
Carlton Fisk, Boston Red Sox
In October 2012, Carlton Fisk, the Hall of Fame catcher for the Boston Red Sox, was found unconscious behind the wheel in a cornfield from drinking and driving in New Lenox, IL with an open vodka bottle. Paramedics took him to the hospital where he refused to take a blood-alcohol test.
Fisk was charged with a lane violation, DUI and illegal transportation of alcohol. His arrest happened just one day after his 37-year anniversary of the home run that sealed Game 6 for the Boston Red Sox vs. the Cincinnati Reds. The Red Sox won the World Series in 1975 and Fisk was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.
What do you do if you find yourself in this situation? You need an experienced DUI felony attorney to assist you in getting through what you must do next. To get a free consultation, contact DeGiacomo & Mikhlin, P.C. at (617) 941-3666.