CREVE COEUR, Mo. — St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin was charged with driving while intoxicated Monday, a day after he was arrested in Creve Coeur.
In a press release, the Creve Coeur Police Department said they received two calls about a suspected drunk driver in a white sedan at around 6:30 Sunday evening. An officer found the reported car heading east on Ladue Road before taking Interstate 270 northbound.
According to the press release, the officer noticed the car failing to stay in its lane, so the officer pulled the car over. The release said the officer "discovered several clues to indicate the driver was impaired" and conducted a field sobriety test. Based on the result, he took McLaughlin into custody on suspicion of DWI.
McLaughlin, 48, was charged on Monday as a persistent offender with one count of driving while intoxicated, a Class E felony, and one misdemeanor count of failing to drive within a single lane.
McLaughlin was previously charged and pleaded guilty to two DWIs, one in 2010 and one in 2011. He was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to the 2010 charge and was sentenced to a suspended, 90-day sentence after pleading guilty again in 2011.
In November 2011, he spoke to the St. Louis Post Dispatch about his struggles with alcoholism.
McLaughlin was released on Monday from the St. Louis County Justice Center after posting a $25,000 bond.
As part of bond conditions agreed to by McLaughlin and prosecutors, he was ordered to wear an alcohol monitor and will not be allowed to drive or patronize "establishments whose primary sales are alcohol-related."
McLaughlin's next court date is set for Feb. 7, 2023.
Bally Sports Midwest and the St. Louis Cardinals released the following statement:
“We have been made aware that Dan McLaughlin was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on Sunday night. We are very disappointed to hear this and are working to gather additional information before offering further comment.”
Jason Korner, a local criminal defense attorney, said there are some factors of McLaughlin's situation that could keep him out of jail.
"This isn't the best history, but he has a long period of not having one and that's a better factor for him," he said.
While McLaughlin is facing his third DWI, Korner said, this one is different than the last two.
"A felony DWI can happen one of two ways, either a DWI where there's an accident with a serious injury or like in this case, a third or subsequent DWI," he said.
Korner said the amount of time in between McLaughlin's last offenses could play in his favor.
"In this case, it's been about 10 years or a little bit more since his last one, that certainly gets taken into account," he said.
Korner said McLaughlin's Class E felony could end up in a couple of different ways including jail time, community service hours or treatment court.
"St. Louis County does have a DWI court. It's really for felony offenders, so depending on the facts of his case, that could be an option here as well," he said.
Nichole Dawsey, executive director at Prevent+Ed, said an addiction is when you continue to use, despite negative consequences.
"If that behavior continues for a second or even a third time, that's a huge warning sign," she said.
While the holidays are usually filled with love and happiness for many, Dawsey said, this time of year there is always an uptick in this behavior.
"I hope for families who are in similar situations, this would be a good wakeup call so that nothing super tragic happens. That's what we want to prevent," she said.
Dawsey said if this issue tells us anything, it's that no one is immune.
"It impacts everybody from any SES status, no matter what your job, no matter what part of the region or the country you live in. This impacts everybody," she said.
Other things family and friends can watch out for in these situations are isolation and drastic changes in behavior.
Prevent+Ed offers many resources for adults and kids who are struggling. They offer adult assessments for $25. If you can't pay the $25, then Dawsey said it is free. You can call 314-962-3456 to schedule an appointment.
You can find more information on help and prevention here.
