CLEARWATER, Fla. — Nick Hogan, the son of professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, is accused of driving under the influence in west-central Florida, authorities said.
According to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Nick Hogan, 33, whose legal name is Nicholas Allan Bollea, was charged with driving under the influence (refusal), which is a first-degree misdemeanor.
An arrest affidavit said that at about 1:18 a.m. EST on Saturday, officers conducting a traffic stop on Gulf to Bay Boulevard observed a Dodge Ram that was approaching them in a separate lane, WFLA-TV reported.
Nick Hogan, son of Hulk Hogan, arrested for DUI in Clearwater, police say https://t.co/cPVCQvZhav pic.twitter.com/4lc1jSVua8
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) November 19, 2023
An officer used his flashlight to signal to Bollea that he must slow down and move to another lane, but police said that he did not comply, which was a violation of the state’s “Move Over” law, according to the television station.
The Clearwater Police Department said another officer detected that the vehicle was traveling at 51 mph in a 40-mph zone on his in-car radar, according to WFLA.
An officer stated in the arrest affidavit that Bollea’s breath had a “strong odor” of alcohol, the Tampa Bay Times reported. His balance was allegedly unsteady and he had bloodshot, glassy eyes, according to the newspaper.
Police said that Bollea refused a breath test but “performed poorly” on field sobriety tests, the Times reported.
Bollea was released Saturday evening after posting $500 bail, online records show.
When Bollea was 17 in 2007, he was involved in a crash that left a passenger in his vehicle, John Graziano, with severe brain damage, the Times reported.
At the time, police said that Bollea was racing when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree, according to the newspaper.
Bollea pleaded no contest to a charge of reckless driving in May 2008 and received an eight-month sentence in jail and five years of probation, WFLA reported.