Last Updated on February 6, 2017 by CCAR Staff
SANTA ANA >> Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman was sentenced to three years of probation on Monday for misdemeanor charges stemming from going the wrong way onto the I-5 freeway in Santa Ana and, authorities said, prompting a crash.
On July 20 at about 12:30 a.m., Rodman drove an SUV onto an exit ramp for a carpool lane for the I-5 freeway at Main Street, Deputy District Attorney Gautam Sood said.
Another driver had to swerve to avoid hitting him and crashed into a center divider, authorities said, with that motorist calling 911 and telling officers that Rodman got back into his SUV and left without exchanging information.
Rodman, a 55-year-old Newport Beach resident, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of hit-and-run, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, providing false information to an officer, and driving without a valid driver’s license. Sood said Rodman did not have a valid license at the time and gave inaccurate statements to police.
As part of a plea deal, prosecutors on Monday dropped the hit-and-run charge and Rodman agreed to plead guilty to the remaining charges. In addition to probation, he was ordered to provide 30 hours of community service.
“We feel it was a fair conclusion under the circumstance,” Sood said.
Rodman’s attorney, Paul Meyer, said he has received calls from people noting that the freeway entrance area at Main Street is confusing and poorly-marked.
“We appreciate the careful review of the district attorney to make the right call in settlement,“ Meyer said in a statement. “The driving error at night was due to poor sign placement.”
“The sign is set far back from the road-entry point,” the lawyer said. “Dennis appreciates the helpful input from the public about the sign problems.”
Rodman, known for his tattoos, bright hair and outlandish behavior on and off the court, played for 14 years in the NBA for several teams including the Detroit Pistons, the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring from the league in 2000.
