Football fans in Georgia may be interested to hear what Arizona Cardinals player John Abraham had to say about his DUI charge. On Aug. 1, the linebacker offered his first public statement about his detention for DUI on June 29. The statement came on the sixth day of the Cardinals’ training camp that Abraham had missed.
Abraham was charged with drunk driving after a police officer allegedly spotted him asleep behind the wheel at an Atlanta suburb’s intersection. When the officer questioned him, Abraham reportedly admitted that he had consumed two alcoholic beverages and did not feel capable of driving safely. Although he refused to submit to a breath test, Abraham did make an attempt to perform field sobriety tests, but the officer determined that Abraham did poorly on the walking and balancing tests.
Abraham began his statement by making an apology to his family and friends as well as to the Cardinals organization, his fellow teammates and his fans. He then explained that he understood the significance of his actions and was taking steps to handle his personal business. He expressed gratitude for the support given to him by his family, friends and his team. He then closed his statement by saying that he was looking forward to returning to the team soon.
Abraham’s driver’s license was reportedly already suspended at the time of the incident. For a driver who does have a valid license, a refusal to perform a breath test will likely result in an automatic driver’s license suspension. Within 10 days of the incident that led to a DUI charge, the driver can apply for a hearing to keep his or her driver’s license. This would allow the accused individual to continue driving until the case is resolved.
Source: ESPN NFL, “John Abraham apologizes for DUI“, Josh Weinfuss, August 01, 2014