NASCAR Champion Kurt Busch Arrested on Multiple Charges
A legendary former NASCAR driver has been arrested on multiple charges after a discovery police made in the middle of a traffic stop.
The situation unfolded Tuesday night in Iredell County, North Carolina.
At 11:40 that night, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office pulled over 46-year-old former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch for speeding, reckless driving and suspected impairment.
Police were monitoring the area after citizen complaints about speeding traffic.
According to WCNC-TV, Busch was driving 63 mph in a 45 mph zone.
Law enforcement immediately noticed something was wrong.
Busch “had red glassy eyes,” court records reviewed by Iredell Free News alleged.
Officers also noted a “strong odor of alcohol” coming from the former stock car great. According to the court document, Busch admitted to drinking before driving his vehicle.
A sobriety test given to Busch at the scene found a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.17, more than twice North Carolina’s .08 limit.
A North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper who stopped to assist the Iredell deputy charged Busch with driving while impaired and reckless driving.
Busch was taken into custody and held at the Iredell County Detention Center, but soon released on a promise to appear at his hearing.
The former NASCAR driver’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 19.
“I’m very disappointed in myself and I apologize to my family, my racing family, and to my fans,” Busch said in a statement to FOX Sports’ NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass.
“I will work with the authorities to rectify the situation and work with the county to make it a safer place in the future.”
This is not the first time Busch has had an encounter with the law over his troubling driving, but this most recent incident appears to be much milder than his previous meetings with police.
In 2005, Busch was cited for reckless driving in Maricopa County, Arizona.
According to an article from the East Valley Tribune published just a week after his arrest in the Grand Canyon State, Busch was uncooperative with law enforcement after being pulled over for speeding and reckless driving.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy Glenn Powe said Busch became angry and launched into a “longwinded dissertation about his celebrity status, listing his accomplishments as if he were reading me his resume.”
For that offense, Busch was sentenced to 50 hours of community service.
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