Veteran entertainer Diana Ross said she was trying to rent a video and got lost when she was stopped earlier this week for allegedly driving under the influence, according to a Tucson, Ariz., police report. Police Officer Scott Sullivan stopped Ross early Monday morning after someone reported that a vehicle was driving south in the northbound lanes of a street in northeastern Tucson.
Sullivan’s report indicates that he stopped Ross, 58, at a Blockbuster video store, where she had pulled into a handicapped space. She twice denied she had been drinking, and said she had been lost and was “just trying to get here to rent a video.”
The report also said Ross consented to a field sobriety test but fell down and laughed while trying to stand on one leg and count to 10. In another test, it said, she skipped a couple of letters and doubled others when asked to write the alphabet.
Ross was cited on three misdemeanor counts related to driving under the influence and has a Jan. 13 court date. Police said breath tests showed Ross had a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.20 percent, more than twice Arizona’s legal limit of 0.08.
A spokesperson for Ross’ Los Angeles-based publicist declined to comment on the arrest. In May the publicist’s office had said Ross entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center to deal with personal issues. Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.