Cowboys DUI Arrest: Jay Ratliff Hits 18-Wheeler
Dallas Cowboy player Jay Ratliff was arrested on Monday night in Grapevine, Texas after colliding with an 18-wheeler truck. Ratliff was held overnight on the suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
The player refused an immediate sobriety test and was arrested at the scene. Officials said Ratliff was aware that he had been involved in an accident but unsure of how it had occurred.
"He had no idea how the crash occurred, and so I would just leave it at that," Senior Police Officer Sam Shemwell said in an interview with NBC Dallas 5.
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Police retrieved a search warrant and escorted Ratliff to a hospital, where he underwent a mandatory blood test. Results of the test are not yet available. Ratliff was released Tuesday morning on $500 bail. The driver of the 18-wheeler did not sustain any injuries. Ratliff made minor complaints, but refused medical treatment.
The incident occurred 20 miles northwest of Dallas. Ratliff could face up to six months in prison, Shemwell told the Associated Press.
Ratliff played six games in 2012 due to injuries that included a sports hernia operation in December. The player was involved in a recent dispute with Cowboys owner and General Manager Jerry Jones. On Tuesday afternoon, Jones confirmed that the argument had been resolved.
"As far as I'm concerned, he is outstanding, he has given everything he's ever had to the Dallas Cowboys," Jones told ESPN Tuesday.
Ratliff is not the first player to be involved in a DWI within the past couple of months. Josh Brent was arrested in December and charged with manslaughter after an accident that resulted in the death of Cowboy practice squad player Jerry Brown.
The backup nose tackle was indicted on one count of intoxication manslaughter and could face up to 20 years in prison. He was released on $100,000 bail and ordered to wear an alcohol monitor.
