It unfortunately takes a lot to stand out when it comes to celebrity DUIs but MLB star Todd Helton has pulled off that feat.
Helton was charged on February 6 with a DUI in Thornton, Colorado after police pulled him over for driving erratically in his black Ford pickup. He was charged with DUI and careless driving, booked and jailed in Thornton, then released.
His first step towards celeb DUI fame was a terrible mug shot, with Helton looking very much the worse for wear and like a man who'd had far too many drinks before getting behind the wheel.
Clinching his spot in the DUI Hall of Fame was his excuse for driving drunk: Helton was on the way to a gas station to buy lottery tickets. Apparently a 9 year contract he signed in 2001 worth over $140 million wasn't quite enough, with Helton making a late night drunken run to the gas station to stock up on lotto tickets.
Police got a tip that a possible drunken driver had run over a median and parked near the gas station, arriving in time to find Helton exiting the store clutching a handful of lotto tickets. He at first denied drinking or driving erratically but offered up that he might have had a few Igloo cups of red wine.
Helton released the following statement, which doesn't quite admit to drinking and driving but comes pretty close:
"Last evening I exercised poor judgment and was charged with drinking and driving after driving to a gas station near my house. I am very sorry and embarrassed by my actions. I hold myself to a high standard and take my responsibility as a public figure very seriously. My entire career I have worked to set a positive example for my family and in our community and I fell far short of this standard. I sincerely ask my family, the Colorado Rockies Organization, Major League Baseball and the community to accept my apology."
Helton was hoping to return to play with the Rockies in 2013 after a hip injury cut short his 2012 campaign but it remains to be seen what his status will be with the team when opening day rolls around.
