Former Texas Rangers pitcher Matt Bush faces drunken driving charges after a crash in Arlington

According to the police report, former Texas Rangers pitcher Matt Bush has been charged with drunken driving in connection with a chain crash Friday night in Arlington in which he allegedly fled an attempted traffic stop before being involved in a multi-vehicle accident.

Bush, 38, was booked into Arlington Jail late Friday evening where he was charged with driving while intoxicated, evading arrest and collision causing injury, according to jail records. He was initially held on $35,000 bail, but it was not immediately clear whether Bush posted bail Sunday evening.

The overnight arrest and crash in Tarrant County are Bush’s latest run-ins with law enforcement officials over alleged drunken driving, which include a series of similar incidents and a prison sentence.

In 2012, Bush was convicted of hitting a 72-year-old motorcyclist in Florida and then running him over as he tried to flee the scene.

Traffic stops preceded vehicle accidents

According to Arlington police, just before 8:30 p.m., officers attempted to stop Bush’s 2023 Lincoln Aviator for erratic driving on Pioneer Parkway, but he allegedly fled the scene.

Minutes later, his vehicle was involved in an accident at the intersection of E. Pioneer Parkway and S. Collins Street, according to a police report.

Police reported that Bush ran a red light before his vehicle collided with a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado and then struck a 2010 GMC Yukon and a 2008 Toyota Corolla that were stopped at the light.

Witnesses told police that Bush got out of his SUV and attempted to flee the scene on foot, but the witnesses managed to catch and hold him until police arrived, the police report said. Bush and the Silverado driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment. Information about their condition was still pending on Sunday evening.

Bush was later medically cleared before apparently being taken to Arlington Prison for custody.

According to police, Bush refused a roadside sobriety test and refused to speak to investigators about the incident. According to the police report, a blood sample was taken for examination.

Joining the Texas Rangers

The 2024 season marked Bush’s first year away from professional baseball since the Rangers first signed him in 2016.

When he made his debut for the Rangers in May 2016, Bush appeared to be the center a great comeback story for a former top prospect who went nearly 12 years between being the top pick in the amateur draft and becoming a major leaguer.

In between, three organizations broke off contact with him after alcohol-related incidents. The last of those came with Tampa Bay and landed him in prison.

While driving his roommate’s car, which he had taken without permission, Bush struck a 72-year-old motorcyclist and reportedly ran over the victim’s head as he fled the scene.

The victim survived and Bush served 34 months of a 51-month sentence for drunk driving and aggravated assault.

The Texas Rangers signed him after he had been out of the game for four years and only saw him work out in the parking lot of a Golden Corral, the only place Bush could drive to as part of his release program.

Bush dominated the minors for a month, was called up to the majors and played a big role in the Rangers’ bullpen en route to the AL West title.

Arm injuries kept him out of the majors for much of 2018-2021, but he returned on the final day of the 2021 season.

The Rangers sent him to Milwaukee in 2022, where he spent almost a year before being released. The Rangers re-signed him to a minor league contract in July 2023 and he was actually called up to the majors on the final day of the season but did not pitch.