Former Boston Celtics legend and NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce was arrested late Tuesday night after California Highway Patrol officers discovered him allegedly asleep behind the wheel of a stopped SUV on the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles.
According to CHP, multiple lanes of the freeway had been closed due to a separate multi-car accident near Lankershim Boulevard around 10:30 p.m. Once traffic began moving again, officers noticed a black Range Rover idling in the lanes just south of the crash site.
“When officers approached, they discovered the driver… later identified as Paul Pierce… unresponsive and asleep behind the wheel,” CHP said in a statement.
After conducting a field sobriety test, Pierce was taken into custody on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI. Officers reported signs of impairment and transported him to the CHP’s Central Los Angeles office for booking.
The case is expected to be reviewed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for potential charges.
Pierce, 47, nicknamed “The Truth,” spent the majority of his career with the Boston Celtics, where he won an NBA championship in 2008. His arrest adds to a series of off-court controversies that have surfaced since his retirement in 2017.
