Aurora Starchild
Joe Don Rooney crashed his BMW into a tree last September. He initially blamed the event on a deer crossing the road. But as it turns out, he was intoxicated. The Rascal Flatts guitarist just pleaded guilty to a DUI and will now serve jail time.
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Rooney seems to be getting off a little easier than most, however. The misdemeanor can carry a sentence of almost a year, but he will only have to be inside briefly. He will also complete a DUI training. Rooney will report to jail on June 8 and serve two days of jail time.
Joe Don Rooney is getting off lightly because he is a first-time offender and the offense is a Class-A Misdemeanor.
According to a report obtained by TMZ last year, the arresting officer smelled alcohol on Rooney’s breath. The officer said that the guitarist admitted to having “one more than I should have.” Rooney was discovered sitting behind the wheel and he proceeded to fail multiple sobriety tests.
The Williamson County Sherriff’s Office told People that Rooney crashed his car into a “tree line” around 4 A.M. in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville. The crash occurred soon after Rascal Flatts received an Academy of Country Music Award.
There haven’t been any statements about the DUI by Rooney as far as the public can tell. He seems to have made his Instagram private despite still having a “follow me” link from his Twitter profile.
Similarly, his last Tweet appears to have been from September 3, 2021, a mere 6 days prior to the car crash.
Rooney posted a link from his Instagram along with the hashtag #haircut and the caption, “Gonna be better than the old new me.”
Oh, the irony.
