According to a report from the Palm Beach Post, former WCW wrestler Mark “Van Hammer” Hildreth was arrested for DUI after speeding and hitting a five-year-old boy with his vehicle. The boy was riding a bicycle that still had training wheels. He was thrown onto the car’s hood and fell off, before Van Hammer drove away from the scene. He’s also been charged with leaving the scene of an injury crash.
The boy was riding bikes with his father just before 3 PM yesterday. He rode in front of the Hildreth’s 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-550, before getting hit by the front-left corner. When witnesses ran over to help, Hildreth jumped out and said the kid “jumped right in front of me” before getting in his car and driving away. Two people followed him and alerted the police to his wherabouts.
The boy was taken to Delray Medical Center as a trauma patient, and is believed to have possible internal injuries and road rash. The injuries are reportedly not life-threatening and he’s in stable condition as of last night. Bail for Hildreth was set at $125,000 and there’s a possibility he could be put on house arrest.
Hildreth has a history of DUI, as he was arrested in 2004 in Georgia for the same thing. It’s believed he was driving 58 MPH in a 35 MPH zone. Police said that he “made statements about being involved in the crash.” He was both slurring his words and staggering as he did so, and had alcohol on his breath. He said he had drinks the night before. He began to cry and once again claimed the boy ran out in front of him, so he had no time to react as he drove home from his girlfriend’s place. When the witnesses began to shout things at him, he said he “didn’t know what to do” and drove off. He refused field tests and a breath sample.
He previously admitted in 2013 that he had a drinking problem.
(h/t – 411 Wrestling)
