Jim Leyritz, Ex-Yankee Charged with DUI, Kills Driver

This is very sad...

Baseball's Leyritz Charged With Manslaughter After Car Crash

By Danielle Sessa and Dan Bollerman

Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Former Major League Baseball catcher Jim Leyritz was charged with manslaughter while driving under the influence after a traffic accident in Florida early this morning that killed a woman, authorities said.

Leyritz, who turned 44 yesterday, was also charged with DUI property damage and was released from the Broward County Jail around 3 p.m. after posting $11,000 bond, Fort Lauderdale police Detective Katherine Collins said in a telephone interview.

He didn't respond to a message left by Bloomberg News on his mobile telephone.

Leyritz, who lives in Davie, Florida, was driving a 2006 Ford Expedition in Fort Lauderdale when it collided with a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero driven by 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch around 3:20 a.m. local time, police said in an incident report.

Veitch was ejected from her vehicle, which had rolled over in the crash, authorities said. She was transported to Broward General Medical Center, where she died, police said. Veitch, who lived in Plantation, Florida, was married with two children, Miami television station WPLG reported.

Leyritz, who had watery eyes, a flushed face and an odor of alcohol, underwent several field-sobriety tests, police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of DUI after declining to take a Breathalyzer test and have blood drawn for analysis, police said. Leyritz later was taken to the same hospital, where blood was taken ``above his refusal'' at 6:10 a.m. and 7:12 a.m. and sent to the Broward County Medical Examiner's office to be analyzed. The investigation is continuing, police said.

Leyritz played parts of nine seasons with the New York Yankees during a major-league career from 1990-2000. He was a member of the Yankees' World Series champions in 1996 and 1999 and played for five other major-league teams.

To contact the reporters on this story: Danielle Sessa in New York at dsessa@bloomberg.net ; Dan Bollerman in New York at dbollerman@bloomberg.net

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