Being stopped by the Jonesboro police because he was driving without the headlights on, the Hinder's lead singer got himself into bigger trouble as he was arrested for suspicion of DUI.
- Dec 24, 2007
AceShowbiz - Another celebrity was being arrested for DUI charges. On Friday, December 21, the lead singer of 'Hinder', Austin Winkler, has been arrested in Jonesboro, Arkansas because he was suspected of driving while intoxicated.
According to the Jonesboro police, the 26-year-old rocker was being arrested by Patrolman Anthony Zaffarano at about 11:30 p.m. after a traffic stop. He was being stopped at the intersection of West Matthews Avenue and Crescent Cove because the police spotted him driving a silver 2003 Suzuki SUV traveling south on Gee Street without putting on his headlights.
Following the stopping, the officer revealed that he could smell alcohol on the Winkler's breath. He noted down in his report, "I could smell a strong odor of intoxicants coming from the vehicle. I advised Mr. Winkler for the reason of the stop. The female in the backseat advised the driver (Winkler) to turn the knob to activate the lights instead of just the daytime running lights. Mr. Winkler advised the vehicle was not his. The female in the back seat advised the vehicle belonged to her."
When asked whether he had been drinking, the Hinder frontman reportedly told police he had two glasses of wine, but later he said he had four glasses of wine in a 4-hour period. Rick Guimond, a Jonesboro Patrolman who assisted Zaffarano in the arrest, wrote in his report stating, "He advised that he did have a few glasses of wine at his engagement party that he had just left from at Sheffield's Restaurant."
Upon his confession, Winkler was then administered a portable breath test in the location which indicated 0.16 that is twice the legal limit of alcohol in blood in Arkansas. Further, he was taken to the Craighead County Detention Center to do another blood alcohol content test in which he blew a 0.15. Brought to the Jonesboro Police Department to be cited for the court date on suspicion of DUI and was said to be expected to appear in Craighead County District Court on January 2, 2008.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City-based hard-rock band, Hinder, was famous for hits songs, 'Lips of an Angel' and 'Better Than Me'. 'Lips of an Angel' peaked to number one position on Billboard�s Pop 100 chart, while 'Better Than Me' broke into top 30. In November, the band received the Rising Star Award from the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.
