Swimmer Michael Phelps was stopped early last Tuesday morning for speeding in Baltimore and was charged with DUI, excessive speed and crossing double lanes, according to the Baltimore Sun.
After his recent DUI arrest, the 29-year-old has announced via Twitter that he will be taking some time away from swimming.
"I recognize that this is not my first lapse in judgment, and I am extremely disappointed with myself. I'm going to take some time away to attend a program that will provide the help I need to better understand myself. Swimming is a major part of my life, but right now I need to focus my attention on me as an individual, and do the necessary work to learn from this experience and make better decisions in the future," stated Phelps.
The Olympic swimmer was driving 84 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone, according to charging documents.
During the time of his arrest, Michael Phelps' eyes were red and bloodshot while "his peech was mush mouth," according to the media outlet CSN Washington. The arresting office reportedly wrote that after he placed Phelps in custody, the swimmer appeared "disoriented and agumentative."
Phelps was reportedly placed under arrest after initially refusing to take the one leg stand test. The swimmer reportedly eventually ended up taking the one leg stand test at the transit police stations he was taken to, but was "swaying slightly and did not look at his elevated foot as instructed," wrote the officer.
This isn't the first time Phelps was arrested for DUI. He was arrested and charged with drunken driving as a 19-year-old after his second Olympic games.
If Phelps is convicted of the most recent charges, he reportedly faces up to one year in jail, a $1000 fine and the loss of his driver's license for six months. Some attorneys reportedly believe that it's unlikely that Phelps will serve any jail time.
"He's more likely to be eaten by a polar bear than go to jail for a year. If incarcerated at all, it'll likely be for a weekend," stated attorney Leonard Shapiro, a former prosecutor with the Baltimore County State's Attorney who specializes in drunken driving cases.
