Former No. 1 overall draft pick arrested for DWI after crashing car

Former No. 1 overall MLB draft pick Matt Bush was arrested in Arlington, Texas on Friday night on suspicion of driving while intoxicated (DWI) after crashing into a few cars.

Bush, who was picked No. 1 overall by the San Diego Padres in 2004, was spotted by police driving erratically on Pioneer Parkway in Arlington, Texas. According to FOX 4, Arlington police tried to pull over Bush’s 2023 Lincoln Aviator, but Bush sped away from them.

Bush allegedly ran a red light and crashed into a car, and then hit two other cars. Bush allegedly tried running from the scene but was chased down and detained by some bystanders.

Bush and the driver of the first car he crashed into were both taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The former MLB player refused a roadside sobriety test, so a blood sample was taken from him.

According to the report, Bush was booked into Arlington City Jail on one count of DWI, one count of accident involving injury and one count of evading arrest.

If Bush is found guilty, that would make him a repeat offender.

The 38-year-old was sentenced in December 2012 to 51 months in prison for injuring someone on a motorcycle while driving drunk. Bush was released by the Tampa Bay Rays due to the matter and served 39 months in state prison. He signed with the Texas Rangers in 2015 after serving his sentence and made it to the big club as a relief pitcher in 2016.

Bush has appeared in 217 MLB games and has a 3.75 ERA over 211 career innings in six seasons, most spent with the Rangers. He was released by the Brewers after going 0-2 with a 9.58 ERA in 2023.

Bush was initially drafted as a shortstop but was converted to a pitcher by the Padres after he was unable to successfully hit in the minors.