Football fans in New York and around the country may be familiar with Troy Hill. The promising 25-year-old defensive back had earned a regular place with the Los Angeles Rams after being claimed off waivers in December 2015, but he was unceremoniously released by the team on Nov. 22 just three days after an alleged drunk driving accident in California. Hill’s career appeared to be blossoming with the Rams after brief and unsuccessful stints in Cincinnati and New England.
According to a Los Angeles Police Department report, Hill was proceeding westbound on Ventura Freeway at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Nov. 19 when his Mercedes sedan struck a semi-tractor trailer in the vicinity of Haskell Ave. Officers claim that Hill’s car was being driven erratically and at a high rate of speed in the moments before the crash. Both Hill and the driver of the semi escaped the accident without injury.
The officers at the scene say that Hill showed signs of impairment when they approached his car. Reports indicate that Hill was taken into custody and charged with drunk driving after failing a number of standard field sobriety tests. Hill was released from custody after posting bail in the amount of $15,000.
This case shows how drunk driving charges can impact careers and livelihoods. Experienced criminal defense attorneys may urge prosecutors to take this into consideration during plea negotiations, and this could be especially true when the individual concerned caused no injuries and has no prior history of substance abuse problems. Defense attorneys could also seek to have DWI charges dismissed by challenging the validity of toxicology test results or questioning the actions of the police officers involved.
Source: NBC Sports, “Rams cut Troy Hill three days after DUI arrest”, Zac Jackson, Nov. 22, 2016
