Posted at 6:51 a.m., Thursday, May 10, 2007
Although not driving, McNair charged in DUI case
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair was arrested early today and charged with being the owner of a vehicle operated by a drunken driver.The former Tennessee Titans player was a passenger in his silver pickup truck, police said.
Police said a copy of the arrest report wouldn't be available until later in the day but confirmed McNair was arrested and booked into jail about 3 a.m.
McNair was arrested under a misdemeanor statute that charges the owner if an intoxicated person is allowed to drive a vehicle. Under the law, it doesn't matter if McNair was drinking, only if the driver was impaired, police said.
The driver, whose identity wasn't immediately available, was stopped because the truck was speeding, police said.
"We are aware of the situation, but we're getting most of our information from the media," Ravens spokesman Chad Steele said today. "We've not spoken with Steve, so we're not sure at this time if we will have a statement."
McNair declined to comment when he was released from custody. He was accompanied by a friend, nightclub owner Robert "Big Daddy" Gaddy.
McNair was arrested in downtown Nashville in May 2003 and charged with DUI and illegal gun possession. After a year of legal wrangling, a judge dismissed those charges, ruling police didn't have sufficient reason to pull over McNair in the first place.
