Celebrity Justice
Ex-Yank Popped for Alleged Vehicular Homicide

TMZ has confirmed that Jim Leyritz, a member of the New York Yankees championship teams in the 1990s, is being held at Broward County Jail in Florida, after being arrested for allegedly driving under the influence and causing the death of a woman driving the other car in a collision.
Jim Leyritz
According to police documents, Leyritz was driving a Ford SUV when he ran a red light in downtown Fort Lauderdale and crashed into another vehicle early this morning; the other car rolled, and the driver, 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch was thrown from the car and died later at Broward General Medical Center. Leyritz was observed to have "red watery eyes, flushed face, and the odor of an alcoholic beverage" on his breath -- and he initially refused to take a breathalyzer test.

Leyritz was booked at 4:30 AM on two charges of DUI and was released this afternoon on $11,000 bond. Yesterday, incidentally, was Leyritz's 44th birthday. Local10.com of WPLG-TV first reported the charges.

Leyritz is best remembered for the dramatic three-run home run he hit against the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series.

WPLG captured exclusive video of Leyritz leaving the jail at around 3:30 PM ET. In the video, he is visibly shaken as he gets into his car and clearly holding back tears.
Click to play!

Tags: Jim Leyritz, JimLeyritz

Reader Comments

(Page 2 of 4) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

16. Effen drunks! Is it REALLY too hard to get someone else to drive or to take a taxi? I hope he realises that the blood on his hands will never wash off.

Posted at 3:03PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Just sad.

17. What in the h*ll?!?! Micsha Barton should've taken the opportunity to wack someone before she was arrested for her DUI. It only costs an extra grand!

Posted at 2:59PM on Dec 28th 2007 by eyehatebaseball

18. Damn, another drunk driver kills someone. SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE, STOP THIS INSANITY.
When are people going to get it about drinking and driving. Geez, get a designated driver, hire a limo with all the money you go, or take a CAB. I am sooo sick of reading about these boozers who are losers.

Posted at 3:01PM on Dec 28th 2007 by addicted to trash magazines

19. jizy you are a dumbass!

Posted at 3:05PM on Dec 28th 2007 by joe

20. The Stankees are murderers!
Ray Chapman, Cleveland Indians, the only MLB player ever to die from playing ball was killed by a wild pitch from New York’s Carl “Submariner” Mays.
Because of the Stankees murderous ways, Submariner Mays, with hall of fame numbers is not in the hall of fame and the spitball was banned the next season.
This is only one example of what it means to be a Stankee.
Leyritz is just following the New York way.

Posted at 3:02PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Jizy

21. sorry, I was typing so fast, I spelled got wrong...............this info just frosts me about another death from a celebrity drunk.

Posted at 3:02PM on Dec 28th 2007 by addicted to trash magazines

22. Man this sucks, what a bad stroke of luck... Alot of people drive drunk without anything ever happening... I'm saddened by this news, as he was one of my favorite players, mainly because of his batting stance being so unique. Hopefully he does not go down for too long. :(

Posted at 5:58PM on Dec 28th 2007 by JAmes

23. I have supporting data why New York blows, argue all you want, fact is facts.

Posted at 3:12PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Jizy

24. JIZY, IT WAS A WILD PITCH U DUMBASS!!!! AND I HIGLY DOUBT THAT HE AINT A HALL OF FAMER CAUSE OF THAT WERE YOU NOT LOVED WHEN U WERE GROWING UP THAT YOUR YANKEE BASHING WHEN A GUY THAT PLAYD FOR THEM LIKE 10 YEARS KILLS SOMEONE? TRYIN TO TAKE ADAVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT HE WORE PINSTRIPES BEFORE? HIM HAVING PLAYED FOR THE YANKEES MEANS NOTHING HE WAS DRUNK , AND KILLED AN INNOCENT WOMAN IS WHATS IMPORTANT NOT YOU CRYIN LIKE A BABY JUST CAUSE YOU DONT LIKE THE YANKEES. YOUR AND IDIOT PLAIN AND SIMPLE

Posted at 3:15PM on Dec 28th 2007 by JAY

25. Jizy-are you truly a idiot, or like making idiotic comments? You are probably both. Also the comments about Cleveland and Cincy...is this in reference to baseball also....you know, there are sports boards. Lastly, Steinbrenner was born and went to school in Ohio and surprisinly, he bought a team from NY.
Sad day for family....drunks never think they are drunk....innocents lose their lives.

Posted at 3:22PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Base Ball Fan

26. Not homicide but manslaughter.

Posted at 3:25PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Geminate

27. Jay
The murder happened at the Polo Grounds and the New York DA opened a homicide investigation but it was dropped after a few weeks and charges were never brought up. Mays had a history of throwing at the heads.
His career pitching stats were phenomenal and batting average is one of the highest ever for a pitcher. If he didn’t murder Chappy he’d be in Cooperstown today.
Like I said before, facts is facts, two peas in a pod.

Posted at 3:27PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Jizy

28. You know, you stupid bo sox fanatics troll the boards all over the web, in order to make idiotic and moronic comments regarding Yankee matters. I really wish you guys had jobs, instead of sitting on your a**s all day. I know the unemployment rate is high, but a few of you could get jobs in Mickey D's flipping burgers. Even with a IQ or 70, you could work the french fry machine.

Posted at 3:28PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Just wonderin

29. Umm…
Leyritz is on TMZ and he’s a ball player, aren’t all these comments about Leyritz?
As for Steinbrenner, he’s also from a Cleveland suburb and Cleveland doesn’t want anything to do with his traitor A$$ either!!!
I hope his Stankees bankrupt him before he dies.

Posted at 3:32PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Jizy

30. Bo Sox fan?
Don’t insult me, Boston smells like fish and not the good fish either, ewwwwww!

Posted at 3:35PM on Dec 28th 2007 by Jizy

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