Another NFL Player Arrested for DUI, This Time it’s the 49ers’ Aldon Smith; Could Face Suspension
San Jose, CA- The NFL just recently introduced their new initiatives to combat the inordinate number of DUI arrests their players rack up. It would appear that those new initiatives have yet to make an impact—in fairness it was only introduce a couple of weeks ago —since yet another player has been arrested for driving under the influence. This time it was Aldon Smith linebacker for the 49ers.
Smith was arrested early Friday morning after he was involved in a single-vehicle collision. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, police responded to an accident involving a pickup truck that collided with a fixed object.
Smith was the only person in the truck and was not injured, but police suspected he was intoxicated at the time of the accident.
San Jose police Sgt. Heather Randol told ESPN, “They conducted an investigation and determined he was under the influence.” It is unclear what his blood alcohol level was.
Smith was taken to a San Jose jail at 7:00 a.m. on suspicion of intoxicated driving with a $5,520 bond. As of 10 a.m. this morning he was still in the process of being booked into jail.
“The 49ers organization is aware of the matter involving Aldon Smith. As we continue to gather information regarding this situation, we will have no further comment,” the team said in a statement, according to ESPN.
This is Smith’s second DUI arrest, and among his numerous run-ins with the law. In 2009, Smith was arrested for DUI in Miami, but was able to have his charge reduced to reckless driving—this is why anyone charged with intoxicated driving needs a clever DUI attorney.
It’s kind of pathetic that when you have to include the phrases “another NFL player arrested for DUI” and “this time” when writing about an intoxicated driving arrest. While DUI arrests are not exclusive to the NFL, the league does have the privilege of netting the most intoxicated driving arrests of any other pro-sports organizations. Smith’s DUI arrest is the first for this month, according to the database compiled by USA Today.
Smith could be suspended from two games for his second DUI arrest, but that is the worst sanction from the league he faces. The NFL has been repeatedly criticized for their far too lenient DUI policy which does little to discourage their players from engaging in this dangerous and sometimes deadly behavior. Remember Josh Brent of the Cowboys who was drunk when he killed one of his teammates in an accident last December?
The NFL has recognized this and recently introduced an initiative to combat drunken driving, which mainly consists of a mobile app that makes it easier for a player to conjure a ride if they are too drunk to drive. But the league also has a similar policy and it hasn’t been terribly effective. In the past the NFL Players Association has contemplated tougher sanctions for players charged with intoxicated driving, but thus far hasn’t taken that step.