Todd Helton DUI: Colorado Rockies’ Star Arrested

Colorado Rockies veteran first baseman Todd Helton was detained by police early Wednesday morning for alleged drunken driving and careless driving while behind the wheel of his pickup truck.

The DUI arrest at about 2:30 a.m. occurred in the Denver suburb of Thornton where Helton, 39, lives. According to MLB.com, the fact that Helton was arrested suggests that his blood alcohol allegedly tested about the .08 legal limit in Colorado (and virtually all states), although it will be up to the prosecutor if formal charges will be filed. See mugshot below.

Helton has already announced that he is retiring after the 2013 campaign, which will be his 17th season with the Rockies, the only MLB team he has ever played for.

TMZ claims that Helton was making a lottery ticket run of all things:

“According to the [police] report, cops tracked down Helton after receiving a tip that Todd’s black Ford F-150 had struck a median and then parked at a nearby gas station.

“When cops arrived to the scene, police say they saw Helton stumbling out of the gas station — stinking of booze — and clutching lottery tickets in his hand.”

Helton reportedly earned $20 million in 2012, although he was injured most of the season.

Todd Helton released a statement yesterday about his DUI arrest that read in part:

“Last evening I exercised poor judgment and was charged with drinking and driving after driving to a gas station near my house. I am very sorry and embarrassed by my actions. I hold myself to a high standard and take my responsibility as a public figure very seriously. My entire career I have worked to set a positive example for my family and in our community and I fell far short of this standard.”

A statement from the Colorado Rockies indicated that the organization was “extremely disappointed” after learning of the Todd Helton arrest and that Todd “is taking full accountability” for his actions.

As far as Todd Helton stats, he is a lifetime .320 hitter, with 354 home runs, 1,345 RBI, and nearly 2,500 hits, and taking Todd Helton’s Rockies baseball career in toto, he could be a candidate for the MLB Hall of Fame.

Does it surprise you that a millionaire ballplayer would go out in the middle of the night to buy lottery tickets?

[Top image credit: Onetwo1]