[imagesource: Bryan Derballa / NY Times / Redux]

Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen is 71, and over the past five decades, he’s earned that nickname.

However, the timing of the news breaking that he received citations for driving while under the influence, reckless driving, and consuming alcohol in a closed area back in November couldn’t be any worse for Jeep.

Springsteen was arrested on November 14 whilst driving along a part of the Gateway National Recreation Area on the New Jersey coastline (pictured below), after he stopped his motorcycle and pulled over to take some pictures with fans.

Before we get to the ins and outs of the arrest, consider the Jeep Super Bowl advert, which first aired on Sunday, and has now been yanked off the air:

The Middle. pic.twitter.com/dbsgWV35i0

— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) February 8, 2021

Jeep released a statement saying it’s “right that we pause our Big Game commercial until the actual facts can be established”.

Establishing those facts, reports VICE, hasn’t been smooth sailing:

 …”a source familiar with the case” told the Asbury Park Press that Springsteen’s blood-alcohol content was 0.02, which is way under New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08.

Image: TCLF.org

But if he was below the legal limit, what’s the problem? According to Warren Sutnick, a New Jersey defense attorney who specializes in DWI cases, that can be up to the arresting officer to determine.

Sutnick says that police look at several factors if they suspect a person is under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance:

“They could smell alcohol, [the driver’s] eyes are droopy, or they’re slurring their words. That could, of course, be caused by cough medicine or a prescription medication, so if an officer does suspect there’s something affecting this person’s ability to drive, they’ll have them step out of the car and perform field sobriety tests.”

…”If somebody, let’s say, does blow a 0.02, the officer could still say ‘Well, there’s something not right,’ even after they’ve eliminated the [effects of] alcohol,” Sutnick said.

“They could get into the other reasons why a person is having problems driving, and that’s where somebody with a 0.02 could still be charged with DWI, because there’s some other substance they believe is affecting the person’s ability to drive.”

To further complicate matters, an unnamed source told the New York Post that during the photo op with fans, one man offered Springsteen a shot of liquor.

Springsteen took the shot, Park Police witnessed this, and pulled him over as soon as he drove off.

Fox News claims to be in possession of statements from police on the scene, with one ranger saying he watched Springsteen “consume a shot of Patron tequila” before getting back on his parked motorcycle.

A spokesperson for the National Park Service said that Springsteen was cooperative throughout, although the ranger mentioned above is said to have reported that he initially refused to take a portable breathalyser test.

Springsteen’s court date has not yet been set, but he will have a video conference hearing in front of Judge Anthony Mautone in due course.

Having just finished reading The Dirt, this all seems rather tame.

[source:vice]