Paul Pierce Arrested On Suspicion Of DUI After Falling Asleep On Freeway: “I’m Old, I’m Tired”
Paul Pierce was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
On Tuesday (Oct. 7), the NBA Hall of Famer was found asleep behind the wheel of his SUV at 10:30 p.m. on the 101 Freeway. According to NBC 4 Los Angeles, law enforcement in the area had responded to a car accident, and once the lanes were cleared, they noticed a Range Rover in traffic lanes south of the multi-vehicle crash.
“When officers approached, they found the driver, later identified as Paul Pierce, asleep at the wheel,” replayed CHP. “Officers noted signs of alcohol impairment and conducted a DUI investigation.”
The 47-year-old was taken in for a suspicion of misdemeanor DUI and released from police custody. VIBE has contacted a representative for a statement on the matter.
Former Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, holds the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy during the NBA Championship Ring ceremony prior to the game against the New York Knicks at TD Garden on October 22, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Brian Fluharty/Getty Images
In a message shared on Threads on Thursday night, the California native attempted to explain the ordeal.
“Imagine being stuck in stand still traffic for 45 mins and falling asleep,” he wrote with the face-palm emoji. In the upload, he shared an image from his point of view that displayed endless brake lights.
“I took this picture that night because I never been in stand still traffic for this long. I’m old, I’m tired, and I fell asleep,” he continued. “I’m good y’all thanks for the love.”
Earlier this year, Pierce made the news for a different commute-related reason. The former professional athlete became a trending topic when he completed a 20-mile walk to work after losing a bet to his Speak co-host. After the Celtics blew a 20-point lead, the sports analyst had to face reality.
At the end of his journey, he shared a screenshot of his iPhone health data on social media that confirmed he took 33,465 steps.
“This is crazy, dog I can’t believe this. C’s got me out here like this. I’m sweating. So I’m about 4 miles in right now. So I think I got another 16 miles?” he questioned as traffic sped past in a clip shared on X. “I’ve been going for about an hour and a half right now. I’ll keep y’all updated. I’m a man of my word, though.”
