DEKALB COUNTY, Ga.,None — A judge sentenced Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward to 12 months’ probation Wednesday, stemming from a DUI charge from last summer.
In addition to his probation, with credit for one day served, the former University of Georgia football star is ordered to pay a $2,000 fine, plus court costs and 80 hours of community service, DeKalb County Solicitor-General’s Office officials said.
An alcohol evaluation was also a part of DeKalb County State Court Judge Stacey Hydrick’s ruling for Ward, who pled no contest to reckless driving, although he did plead guilty to failure to maintain lane during his Wednesday hearing.
The judge’s decision comes after Ward was pulled over along Buford Highway at about 2:30 a.m. last July when an officer saw his Aston Martin weaving over the lines of the road before hitting the curb.
An officer said Ward failed a sobriety test and then refused to take a breathalyzer test at the time of the incident. He was then taken into custody and booked into the DeKalb County Jail, where he bonded out on $1,000 bond.
The situation marks the famed pro ball player’s latest issue with driving in DeKalb. Records show Ward pleaded guilty to reckless driving back in April of 2007, paying a $1,350 fine.
In a statement about his recent case, a county Solicitor-General’s Office news release said: “As with any matter before us, this office conducted a thorough investigation and followed the facts wherever they led. After a careful review of the available evidence, this office determined that today’s plea was a just resolution for both the public and the defendant.”
WSBTV
