We reported as did other sites a few days ago about the Bruce Springsteen arrest in the Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. It happened back in November, but the first information was scant. Now more details are coming out and the drunk driving arrest is getting just weird. Even Springsteen’s Jeep commercial has been pulled off of YouTube.

This became a story partially because of the timing of the release. Springsteen had his first TV commercial ever run during the Super Bowl last Sunday for the Jeep brand. Among other shots, it showed The Boss driving his 1980 Jeep. So Springsteen and drunk driving had some extra mileage due to the timing.

The Asbury Park Press says Springsteen’s blood alcohol level was only 0.02

But now the Asbury Park Press says his blood alcohol level was only 0.02 when he was arrested. The legal limit in New Jersey for alcohol in your blood is 0.08, as it is in many other states. A 0.02 reading is way below what New Jersey considers legally drunk. So, what’s up with that?

Springsteen’s specific charges were driving while intoxicated, consuming alcohol in a closed area, and reckless driving. So the blood alcohol level and charges don’t totally add up. And Springsteen has no former DWIs-in fact he doesn’t even have a parking ticket per public court records. 

Because this was a park many areas in the park prohibit the consumption of alcohol. But the prohibition only came into effect in 2019. According to reports Springsteen was just chugging through the park on his Triumph motorcycle. At some point, he stopped to take selfies with a few fans. 

A park ranger saw one of the fans offer Springsteen Patrón tequila

During the interaction, a park ranger saw one of the fans offer Springsteen some Patrón tequila. He took a swig and then got back onto his Triumph and rode away. Both consuming the tequila and then riding or driving after said consumption would be against the law inside of the park. So, it would seem that Springsteen wasn’t driving while drunk so much as he didn’t follow the rules for the inside of the park. 

The citation states that the officer who wrote up Springsteen said, “Springsteen smelt strongly of alcohol coming off his person and had glassy eyes.” When the ranger told Springsteen alcohol was not allowed in the park, the musician admitted to having two tequila shots. 

Two field sobriety tests were given to Springsteen and he failed both

But two field sobriety tests were given to Springsteen and he failed both of them. The citation also says Springsteen “swayed back and forth” and had problems doing the horizontal gaze and the walk-and-turn tests. It also says that initially, he declined the breathalyzer test though eventually, he did take it. 

After reports of Springsteen’s DWI hit, the folks at Jeep pulled the Springsteen commercial from their YouTube channel. A Jeep spokesperson has said that it will wait until more is determined but beyond that, all they will say is that “drinking and driving can never be condoned.” That goes without even saying. 

For now, we’ll have to wait and see where this is all going. Does it still sound as bad as first reported or do you feel like this is a non-news story?