Jason Kidd: 'I had a few drinks' before crash
Jason Kidd, 39, in a July 15, 2012, photo released by Southampton police after he was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated after police say his 2010 Cadillac Escalade hit a utility pole in Water Mill. On the right, a Southampton Town police flatbed tow truck carries the car that police say was driven by Kidd. (July 16, 2012) Credit: Southampton Town Police and John Roca
Newly signed Knicks guard Jason Kidd "smelled heavily of an alcoholic beverage," was "very unsteady on his feet," and had "bloodshot and watery eyes" and "slurred speech" when he was arrested on a DWI charge early Sunday morning, according to police arrest records.
Kidd told police he "had a few drinks" and had been "at a club on the South Fork" before driving into shrubs and other overgrowth at the corner of Cobb Road and Little Cobb Road in Water Mill, about a mile from the Flying Point Road residence listed as his home in police records. Kidd knocked down a utility pole and stopped about 25 feet inside the wooded area from the road, according to arrest records and Southampton police Chief William Wilson Jr.
Wilson said his department had not yet determined the speed at which Kidd was traveling, adding that Kidd was alone in the car at the time of the accident.
In the hours leading up to the crash, Kidd had attended a benefit to honor movie director George Lucas hosted at an East Hampton estate by singer Ne-Yo's Compound Foundation.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Kidd, 39, who listed his employer as the New York Knicks and his occupation as "athlete," was arrested around 3 a.m. Sunday and arraigned at 9 a.m. at Southampton Town Justice Court on a charge of driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, failing to take a blood-alcohol test and failing to stop at a stop sign. He was released on his own recognizance and returns to town court Sept. 12, according to the Suffolk County district attorney's office.
Before his court appearance, Kidd was taken to Southampton Hospital to be treated for minor injuries, police said. It was there he refused to take the blood-alcohol-content test.
Kidd's attorney, Edward Burke Jr., of Sag Harbor, issued a statement early Monday: "Jason was involved in a single-vehicle accident on his way back home from a charity function [Saturday] night. He suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from a hospital. Jason has pleaded not guilty to a DWI charge and awaits further court proceedings."
Police did not impound the car but moved it from a towing company site to police headquarters in Hampton Bays for safekeeping, Wilson said. Sticks and twigs could be seen under the blue tarp that covered the gray 2010 Cadillac Escalade.
Wilson said the investigation into the accident is continuing, including where Kidd was before getting into his car. Kidd was "cooperative" at the scene and during the arrest process, Wilson said.
The 10-time all-star veteran point guard was signed as a free agent earlier this month after playing for the Dallas Mavericks from 2007-2012.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist has averaged 13 points, 9 assists and 6.4 rebounds over 18 seasons with Dallas, Phoenix and the Nets.
The Knicks have not released a statement regarding the incident. The NBA said Monday the league would "monitor the situation."
The Dolan family owns controlling interests in the Knicks, Madison Square Garden and Cablevision. Cablevision is the parent company of Newsday.
Kidd was arrested in January 2001 and pleaded guilty to a domestic abuse charge for assaulting his then-wife Joumana.
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