St. Louis Cardinals TV broadcaster Dan McLaughlin charged with DWI for 3rd time

Dan McLaughlin, the longtime TV broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals, was arrested on a felony driving while intoxicated charge, Missouri police say.

Police in Creve Couer, a suburb of St. Louis, said McLaughlin was pulled over around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4, after officers received two separate reports about an impaired driver.

McLaughlin “was failing to maintain a single lane,” and officers discovered several additional “clues” that indicated he was impaired, police said.

He was arrested Sunday and charged Monday with persistent offender of driving while intoxicated, according to police.

“To be charged as a ‘persistent offender,’ you must have at least two prior pleas of guilty or findings of guilt for DWI related offenses or one plea or finding of guilty to a prior felony DWI related offense,” Missouri law states

If convicted, McLaughlin faces up to four years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

His recent charge follows two separate DUI arrests in 2010 and 2011, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. He said in a 2011 interview with the Post-Dispatch he is “an alcoholic” and was turning his life around.

McLaughlin has been in the Cardinals TV booth for 25 seasons and also calls basketball games for St. Louis University and the Missouri Valley Conference. Cardinals games are broadcast on Bally Sports Midwest.

“We have been made aware that Dan McLaughlin was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on Sunday night,” Bally Sports and the Cardinals said in a joint statement, according to MLB.com. “We are very disappointed to hear this and are working to gather additional information before offering further comment.”