Motley Crue front man Vince Neil was arrested Sunday night in Las Vegas on suspicion of drunk driving. Neil was reportedly driving his Lamborghini near the Las Vegas Strip when he was pulled over by police. His arrest comes just days after declaring his sobriety in an interview with The Associated Press. According to TMZ, Neil’s wife, Lia Gerardini, said he has been sober for three years. Neil also told the AP that he hadn’t used drugs in 20 years.
The rocker was apparently being sought for questioning in an incident where a woman claimed he smashed her camera after she snapped some shots of Neil earlier Sunday evening. Police spotted him, pulled him over and then brought him in on the DUI suspicion.
This arrest is not Neil’s first for drunken driving. In 1984, he crashed head-on into another car in California, killing his passenger, Hanoi Rocks drummer, Nicholas Dingley, also known as Razzle. Speeding and alcohol were both factors in the accident. Following the incident, Neil plead quilty to manslaughter and drunken driving. He served only 20 days in jail and agreed to pay $2.5 million in restitution to the victims. Both occupants of the other car were injured, as well.
Neil’s rap sheet isn’t just about drunk driving though. In 2003, a warrant was issued for his arrest after he allegedly attacked a Moonlight Bunny Ranch prostitute; he later pled no contest to the charge. The year before that he was arrested following an incident where Michael Schuman accused him of punching him in the face and knocking him to the ground. Neil pled no-contest to the charge and was ordered 100 hours of community service, paying restitution and he was booked with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In 2004, he was accused of knocking out a nightclub employee after a disagreement about sound levels while in concert.
This 49 year old rocker just keeps feeding into the sex, drugs and rock and roll mentality that has always surrounded rock and roll musicians. While his rap sheet continues to grow, his personal life has also seen it’s fair share of heartache. Lia Gerardini is Neil’s fourth wife. The rocker returned to Motley Crue after unsuccessfully trying a solo career. And the worst tragedy of all, in 1995, he lost his four-year-old daughter, Skylar, to a childhood cancer of the kidneys, Wilms’ Tumor. He holds an annual poker tournament to benefit a memorial fund named after her. The Skylar Neil Memorial Fund has donated millions of dollars to The T.J. Martell Foundation and also sponsors an annual golf tournament to raise money for children with cancer.
Resources
Ken Ritter, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil arrested on DUI charge in Lamborghini near Las Vegas Strip, Baltimore Sun
TMZ Staff, Vince Neil Allegedly Smashed Before DUI, TMZ
Wikipedia, Razzle
Jennifer Vineyard, Motley Crue Singer Accused of Attacking Prostitute
Ellen Delaney, Vince Neil Arrested For DUI, Sports Interaction
Wikipedia, Vince Neil
