Sam Hunt Was Driving ‘Like There Was Nothing Wrong’ Before DUI Arrest
Audio from several 911 calls placed just prior to Sam Hunt's arrest on open container and DUI charges add more details to last week's news. Several people called 911 to report that a black SUV was driving the wrong way on Ellington Parkway in east Nashville.
Calls started to come into Nashville's 911 services center just before 4AM on Thursday (Nov. 21). One described an SUV driving south in the northbound lane. Another spoke to how casually his vehicle appeared to be cruising.
"It was just driving like there was nothing wrong, it almost hit me head on," a caller can be heard saying in audio obtained by the Tennessean. "It was just driving."
A third caller spoke to the speed Hunt may have been traveling, saying the vehicle was "hauling some ass in the fast lane."
Metro Nashville police did not mention Hunt was traveling at an excessive rate of speed when they pulled him over shortly thereafter. He allegedly had bloodshot eyes and tried to give the police officer a credit card when asked for his driver's license, and also smelled of "alcohol." According to his arrest warrant, Hunt had a blood alcohol level of .173 when he was taken into custody. The legal limit in Tennessee is .08.
On Friday, Hunt tweeted an apology, saying: "Thursday night I decided to drive myself home after drinking at a friend’s show in downtown Nashville. It was a poor and selfish decision and I apologize to everyone who was unknowingly put at risk and let down by it. It won’t happen again."
That tweet was removed and replaced with this one:
No one was hurt by Hunt's actions. Less than three hours after he was booked into Metro Jail, the 34-year-old was released on a $2,500 bond. He'll appear in court on Jan. 17, 2020.
Hunt's arrest comes as he is making a comeback after one full year off from music as he wrote for his next studio album, the follow-up to the wildly successful Montevallo album. "Kinfolks" is a Top 20 hit and his first single in a year. "Body Like a Back Road" was released two years ago, becoming his biggest hit to date.
These Are Sam Hunt's Top Songs