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PrintCOLUMBIA — Gary Pinkel, MU's head football coach, pleaded guilty Friday to a Class B misdemeanor. He was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated Wednesday night.
Pinkel received a 30-day suspended sentence, said Cassandra Rogers, assistant prosecuting attorney for Boone County. The suspended sentence means Pinkel will serve 30 days in jail if he violates a two-year probation.
- Because of his arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel could lose up to $347,307, including $40,769 donated to the MU Wellness Resource Center by Pinkel. The loss is about 15% of his annual income. The graphic shows a breakdown of the financial impact.
- After being arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel was penalized with a one-week suspension without salary or guaranteed incentives. Other terms of his suspension include a one-year salary freeze, ineligibility for any bonus from playing in a bowl game and ineligibility for a social responsibility bonus. In total, Pinkel could lose up to $306,538 under these terms, which includes another week’s salary and benefits that Pinkel has promised to donate to the MU Wellness Resource Center.
On Friday, Pinkel sent an open letter to Tiger Nation apologizing for the incident.
The following narrative comes from the probable cause statement from Boone County Sheriff's deputy Robert Paul, who arrested Pinkel. The probable cause statement does not include Pinkel's blood alcohol content.
Pinkel was first seen at 10:09 p.m. driving north on U.S. 63 toward Stadium Boulevard. The statement said Pinkel was driving 30 mph in a 65 mph zone. He then sped up to the speed limit and failed to signal a lane change.
Pinkel made a "wide right turn onto Broadway from a left turn lane," the statement said. When he approached Keene Street, where he was pulled over, his car crossed a double yellow line while turning left several feet ahead of the intersection.
"I observed his eyes to be glassy and bloodshot," Paul said in the statement. "I detected the strong odor of intoxicants on Gary's breath, which was sustained throughout my contact."
Pinkel admitted to drinking two glasses of wine between 8 and 9:30 p.m., the statement said.
Pinkel did field sobriety tests that did not involve walking because of an Achilles' tendon injury. The statement said Pinkel showed signs of impairment during the field sobriety test. The exact signs are not described in the statement.
Pinkel told Paul that he would not provide a blood sample, the report said. Pinkel was transported to Boone Hospital for a blood draw "due to exigent circumstances," the statement said.
Video courtesy KOMU-TV.
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Comments
Does his license still get suspended for 30 days? If so, I can't imagine him not driving on a suspended license.