Last Updated on November 19, 2016 by CCAR Staff
ENCINO >> Rams cornerback Troy Hill, a major contributor this season, was arrested Saturday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after a freeway car collision.
Authorities said Hill, 25, was driving on the 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley when his Mercedes rear-ended a truck. Hill reportedly failed a field sobriety test and was arrested by the California Highway Patrol at 8:15 a.m.
Hill was booked into jail in Van Nuys and released at 1:35 p.m. on $15,000 bail, according to online records. He has a preliminary court date set for Dec. 14.
The arrest came 30 hours before the Rams host the Miami Dolphins at the Coliseum. Hill, a part-time starter this season, now will miss that game and will be put on the inactive list.
“We are aware of the incident involving CB Troy Hill that occurred Saturday morning,” the Rams said in a statement. “As it is an ongoing legal matter and we are still gathering information, we will have no further comment at this time.”
Hill has had significant playing this season, as Rams cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson and E.J. Gaines have dealt with injuries. This week, Coach Jeff Fisher talked about his level of trust in Hill, who has started four of the Rams’ nine games.
This is not Hill’s first encounter with law enforcement. During his college career at Oregon, he was arrested in Dec. 2013 after an alleged domestic-violence incident at his apartment. Hill later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of menacing and received 36 months of probation.
It’s also not the first arrest for a Rams defensive back this season. Safety T.J. McDonald was arrested in May in Woodland Hills and charged with driving under the influence of a substance other than alcohol. McDonald, who has not missed any games, is awaiting trial.
The Rams will go forward at cornerback with Johnson, Gaines, Larmarcus Joyner and also perhaps Dwayne Gratz and Blake Countess, whom they promoted from their practice squad on Friday.
