Bam Margera, the former pro skateboarder and former Jackass star, was arrested this past weekend on suspicion of driving under the influence, and no, it was not a stunt.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the 38-year-old was arrested around 8 a.m. on Sunday, January 11th. CHP officers noticed Margera on his cell phone while driving which prompted interaction with him.
Once approached, “[the officers] noticed signs of possible intoxication and conducted standard field sobriety tests,” said Juan Galvan, a public information officer with the CHP’s Southern Division. “He was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.”
Margera’s bail was set at $15,000 and he was released later in the day. Following the arrest, he checked himself into rehab.
Although this is Margera’s first DUI arrest, he has been open about his struggles with alcohol.
“He feels a lot better,” said April Margera, Bam’s mother. “He had a bad night. He’s embarrassed by it. He’s mad at himself for being stupid. Now he just wants to pick up the pieces and move forward for himself and for his family.”
Margera’s good friend and Jackass co-star Ryan Dunn died on June 20, 2011, when he crashed his Porsche into a tree after leaving a bar with a production assistant to the Jackass sequel movie. It was later determined that Dunn, who had been driving, had a blood alcohol content of 0.196 percent; over twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
Having the restraint to avoid drinking and driving is more difficult for some than others, especially if someone struggles with the disease of alcoholism. While no one disagrees that driving drunk is bad, sometimes it’s easier to judge than it is to empathize with someone suffering from alcoholism when they’ve been caught drunk driving.
“Don’t be so quick to judge other people.” April Margera added. “Everybody has a different story and everybody is going through different things. It’s not an instant fix. He’s been seeing therapists. There are going to be hiccups when you’re battling addiction. You’re not going to be 100 percent successful the first time. He’s getting a handle and the upside of this thing. He’s learning as he goes.”
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