Officers at scene of Beto O'Rourke's 1998 DWI crash say they believe he tried to flee

[Jose Garcia]

Last edited Wed Apr 24, 2019, 11:28 AM - Edit history (1)

The former police officer who arrested Beto O’Rourke for driving drunk in 1998, along with the sergeant who signed the incident report, both say they believe now what they reported at the time: that O’Rourke tried to leave the scene of the wreck he caused.

O’Rourke admits he was intoxicated and says there is no justification for his actions, but he has denied that he tried to flee.

"Beto's DWI is something he has long publicly and openly addressed over the last 20 years at town halls, on the debate stage, during interviews and in Op-Eds, calling it a serious mistake for which there is no excuse," said O'Rourke spokesman Chris Evans. "This has been widely and repeatedly reported on."

Neither the investigating officer, Richard Carrera, nor his former supervisor, Gary Hargrove, specifically recalls the events of that night more than 20 years ago. But both of the former Anthony Police Department officers told The Texas Tribune they have no doubt the report they compiled and signed is accurate.

More https://www.texastribune.org/2019/04/24/beto-orourke-tried-flee-scene-1998-dwi-crash-officers-say/

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Does he have any overdue library books from the '80s?

[Jose Garcia]

19. DUI + Hit and run is a pretty serious offense

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

20. It happened 20 years ago and he hasn't done anything at all similar since.

Unless he's the Zodiac Killer I'm not interested in old one-off sins.

[WeekiWater]

2. I'm glad he adjusted well in life.

Win for all of us.

[redstatebluegirl]

3. Texas cops are all Republicons, they are just helping their party any way they can.

[Jose Garcia]

23. How would these cops known 21 years aago the O'Rourke would be

a presidential candidate in 2020?

[Siwsan]

4. Isolated incidents don't concern me. Patterns of bad behavior/choices, do.

There isn't a single, solitary one of us with a pristine background. We've all made mistakes. The thing is, did we learn from them or did we take them as a challenge to not get caught, the next time.

IMHO, Beto is a good example of the first. trump* is a text book example of the second.

[happybird]

31. +1

[R B Garr]

5. Bush /Cheney had multiple DWI's between them .

Oh dear.

[George II]

17. Cheney shot his best friend in the face.

[snowybirdie]

6. In not a supporter

of Beto, but this hit piece is horrible! Why do you feel you must dredge it up? Let's focus on his record in government and his life today! Let's focus on the positives of all our candidates. None of them could be remotely as bad as the Orange one!

[Cha]

13. There's no link, either.

[Dream Girl]

15. Well this DUI must be all they gat, so have to milk it for all it's worth

[Politicub]

7. What is the source of this?

Will you please add it to the OP?

Until then, it's just a bunch of out-of-context quotes and claims.

[Jose Garcia]

22. A link to the article has been added

[LakeArenal]

8. Why post another negative allegation against a candidate here on DU

These allegations really stink.

So anyone can say anything about anybody and twenty years later we are supposed to be judges.

[delisen]

9. George W. Bush's drunk driving arrest uncovered too late

to affect outcome in 2000. George and family had successfully hid it.

Don't see that this will have any traction.

[BlueStater]

10. I'm not supporting him, but it's admirable that he managed to turn his life around.

Or should the mistakes a person made when they're young follow them around for the rest of their lives?

[dsc]

11. A source for this should have been provided

[awesomerwb1]

12. Anyone have a good recipe for spaghetti sauce?

Thanks.

[Dream Girl]

14. Or pics of kittens wearing hats?

[Paladin]

16. The obviously organized trashing of Beto can end now.

It's had its intended effect: he's lost ground in the polls, and his Golden Boy image is tarnished.

Find a new target, Jose Garcia. We'll be watching you.

[LongtimeAZDem]

18. Who cares? Trashing thread

[Chin music]

27. +1

[NurseJackie]

34. Yes, that... and one step more.

[left-of-center2012]

21. 21 years ago ?

"Neither the investigating officer, Richard Carrera, nor his former supervisor, Gary Hargrove,
specifically recalls the events of that night more than 20 years ago."

But what the hell,
let's attack Beto anyway?

[EveHammond13]

24. was the officer wearing a MAGA hat

[EveHammond13]

25. I don't care

[Chin music]

26. i don't really care, do you?

We don't need to do this. Let's focus on the good of everyone running. Running for office is not easy to do. Let the chips fall where they may. I know I'm far from perfect, and, I don't want to judge people. If bad is what we are focusing on...i have three words...THE TRUMP FAMILY.

[Turbineguy]

28. Well, there's another reason to keep trump.

At least he's dishonest.

[mtnsnake]

29. This is irrelevant nonsense because the FACT is that Beto O'Rourke did NOT flee the scene

How convenient that some "unnamed source" said they thought O'Rourke tried to flee the scene. Even if he TRIED to flee, and I'm taking Beto's word over anyone else's at that scene that he did not, the bottom line regardless of whose word you take is that Beto O'Rourke did NOT flee, period.

[IndianaDave]

30. I agree with most responders here, that this is irrelevant and unfair

Beto was much younger and had (obviously) been drinking. Drinking impairs judgment. If he tried to flee, he was probably scared. Young people make all kinds of mistakes. His was very public, but it's long over and the remainder of his life appears to be positive and honorable. Let's be gracious and forgiving of youthful errors. All of us have made some.

[Indygram]

32. Many young people do stupid things

Not everyone takes responsibility or learns from their mistakes. Beto does that. That brush with the law and the fact that he can still be successful in life taught him, as he has said before, that just by being white he was still able to go on and have a successful future but that if he had of been a person of color that one mistake would have likely defined his future and prevented him from reaching his full potential.

So...Beto learning from his mistakes actually makes him even MORE appealing as a candidate for me.

[Runningdawg]

33. Well it must be true - cops never lie.

[dalton99a]

35. This is old news

The media already beat it to death during his Senate campaign