Derek Fisher, 42, has been arrested for DUI after flipping his SUV in Los Angeles Sunday night. Fisher played for five NBA teams during his 18-year career but rose to stardom during his time with the LA Lakers, winning five NBA titles.
“The most important part is that we’re here and that no one else was injured,” Fisher told TMZ on Monday. “So from here, just focusing on the positives of being here.”
Fisher and girlfriend Gloria Govan were traveling on U.S. Route 101 in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles when his 2015 Cadillac veered onto the right shoulder while approaching an interchange. The car hit the shoulder’s concrete curb and guardrail, overturned and came to a rest on its roof, blocking two lanes of the highway, the California Highway Patrol said. The accident occurred shortly after 3 am on Sunday morning. The single vehicle crash blocked the No. 3 and 4 lanes of the northbound 101
Officers discovered that Fisher had been drinking and arrested him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after a DUI test, authorities said.
In its reporting of the incident, CNN puts the words “discovered” in quotes. It’s not clear what the significance of this could be. However, the California Highway Patrol did not elaborate on what they found at the scene or how they determined the former NBA star had been drinking and was allegedly impaired. More details may be forthcoming but it’s always curious why police don’t release more detailed information about the arrest immediately after the incident. Such silence can lead to speculation or the possibility that because it’s Derek Fisher, this DUI arrest may not proceed like most DUIs. Who know? Police silence on the matter doesn’t help quell speculation though.
This evening, Fisher made a statement to the press expressing his gratitude no one was injured. However, he’ll most likely need more than gratitude to untangle himself from a DUI conviction.