Former NBA player Paul Pierce was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence in Los Angeles, according to state police.
Officers found the retired basketball star asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle on a busy stretch of highway.
The California Highway Patrol responded around 10:40 p.m. after a separate multi-vehicle crash on the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101. The crash temporarily closed four of the six lanes while investigators worked at the scene.
About an hour later, as traffic lanes reopened, officers noticed a Range Rover SUV stopped in the road south of the crash. Pierce was asleep at the wheel, and officers observed signs of alcohol impairment, prompting a DUI investigation.
Pierce was arrested and booked on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. However, he claims it was all a misunderstanding. He shared an image of the traffic jam on Instagram, explaining that he fell asleep due to sitting in his car for 45 minutes.
“Imagine being stuck in stand still traffic for 45 mins and falling asleep. 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. I’m good y’all thanks for the love,” he captioned the post.
The case will be reviewed by the Los Angeles city attorney as it moves through the legal process.
