The traffic jam that went sideways
Late one Tuesday night, California Highway Patrol officers were handling a multi-car crash on the 101 near Lankershim Boulevard when they noticed a Range Rover sitting in stopped traffic. The driver was asleep at the wheel. That driver was former NBA star Paul Pierce. Authorities say several lanes had been closed while they worked the earlier collision, which left people stuck and, in Pierce’s case, apparently dozing behind the wheel.
How the arrest happened
Officers ran a DUI investigation after finding signs of impairment and arrested Pierce on suspicion of a misdemeanor driving-under-the-influence offense. He was taken to the CHP Central Los Angeles office for booking. The CHP will pass the file along to the Los Angeles County District Attorney for review.
Paul’s reaction — short and chill
Over the weekend Pierce posted about the incident on social media. He shared a photo of the gridlocked traffic he said left him sitting for about 45 minutes, admitted he fell asleep because he was tired, and assured people he was okay and appreciated the well wishes. In short: stuck in traffic, took a nap, all good — according to him.
What’s next legally
The case will be reviewed by the LA County District Attorney’s office, which will decide whether to file charges. For now, the arrest is listed as suspicion of a misdemeanor DUI and the matter is in the hands of prosecutors.
Quick basketball highlights
For context, Pierce had a long NBA career spanning 19 seasons. He spent most of that time with the Boston Celtics, had short stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, and finished his playing days with the Los Angeles Clippers. A 1998 first-round pick out of the University of Kansas, he made 10 All-Star teams, won a championship in 2008, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Bottom line
It’s a weird little late-night story: traffic jam leads to a nap, nap leads to an arrest, and now we wait to see how the legal side plays out. No injuries in the initial crash were mentioned in the CHP release, and Pierce says he’s fine — but this will move through the system like any other DUI case.
