A former MLB pitcher and first-overall draft pick was arrested last week after reportedly fleeing from police and trying to escape the scene of a multi-vehicle collision, only to be pursued by bystanders.
Matt Bush, traded from the San Diego Padres to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2009, never played for the latter team after being released.
Bush, the top pick in the 2004 draft, was allegedly driving a 2023 Lincoln Aviator in Arlington, Texas, around 8:30 p.m. on Friday when a local officer observed him driving erratically and attempted to pull him over.
Reports indicate that Bush sped away, evading the police, which led to authorities issuing a “lookout” alert for his vehicle.
Shortly after, Arlington Police were notified of a multi-vehicle accident at a nearby intersection and arrived to find Bush’s vehicle involved.
Police reported that Bush ran a red light, colliding with a 2023 Chevy Silverado, then crashing into a 2010 GMC Yukon and a 2008 Toyota Corolla.
After the crash, he allegedly fled on foot without identifying himself or exchanging information but was quickly apprehended by bystanders who chased him down until law enforcement arrived.
Both Bush, 38, and the 41-year-old driver of the Silverado were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, while the other drivers were unharmed.
At the hospital, Bush refused a field sobriety test and declined to discuss the accident.
Investigators later obtained a warrant for a blood sample, and after being medically cleared, Bush was booked into Arlington City Jail.
He has been charged with driving while intoxicated, causing injury in an accident, and evading law enforcement, with a bond set at $35,000.
After being drafted by the Padres, Bush initially struggled as a shortstop before transitioning to a pitcher. He faced multiple alcohol-related incidents after his draft and was later part of the Toronto and Tampa Bay organizations before a 2012 incident in Florida, where he was accused of DUI and fleeing the scene of an accident that severely injured a 72-year-old man.
Bush pleaded no contest, served a three-and-a-half-year sentence in prison, and was released in 2015.
