New York Jets linebacker Dylan Donahue, who was arrested for DWI last month after driving the wrong way in the Lincoln Tunnel and crashing into a bus, also faces a drunken-driving charge in his home state of Montana, ESPN has learned.
Donahue, 25, was involved in a car wreck last May 9 in Billings -- nine days after he was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round. An affidavit from the Billings City Attorney's office, obtained by ESPN, claims Donahue committed a DUI and that his blood alcohol content was tested at 0.137. The legal limit is 0.08. Police arrived at the scene at 2:25 a.m., where they found Donahue's SUV flipped over on its roof, according to the affidavit.
Donahue and an unidentified male passenger were bleeding from visible injuries. Donahue told police that he slammed into a parked, unoccupied pickup truck. He claimed he looked down to check his phone and, upon looking up, he saw the parked truck but couldn't stop in time. He said the truck was partially blocking his lane with no lights on.
A police officer detected the smell of alcohol, and Donahue admitted he had "several alcoholic drinks earlier in the evening," per the affidavit. He was transported to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he gave a blood sample that came back with the 0.137 reading. Donahue was charged with felony criminal endangerment, but it was declined by the county attorney's office and forwarded to the city attorney's office as a misdemeanor DUI charge.
It's still pending, the city attorney's office said Monday.
A Jets spokesman said the team had no comment because it's a pending legal matter. The declined to say whether the Jets had knowledge of the arrest.
Coach Todd Bowles, speaking to reporters two days after Donahue's Lincoln Tunnel arrest, was noncommittal on his roster spot. Bowles indicated they'd let the NFL handle any potential discipline.
"You've got to wait and see what the league does first before we do anything," Bowles said. "So it's a legal matter now and we've got to wait our turn, see what happens and go from there."
Asked about the circumstances surrounding the tunnel arrest, Bowles said, "That's not a good thing, that's not something we condone. We hope the people are all right in the other vehicle, but that's a pending legal matter."
Donahue is subject to NFL discipline under the league's substance-abuse policy.
On Feb. 26, Donahue was traveling eastbound into Manhattan at about 2 a.m. ET. He drove into the wrong tube of the Tunnel and crashed into into a 15-passenger bus. Four of the passengers were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, according to New York/New Jersey Port Authority police.
Donahue failed sobriety and breathalyzer tests at the scene, police said. He also was charged with reckless driving.
Donahue played in only four games last season before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in a Week 4 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He finished his rookie year with four tackles. The Jets are counting on him to be a core special-teamer and perhaps contribute as a situational pass-rusher.
The Jets have experienced a rash of arrests over the last 10 months. Aside from Donahue, the others are wide receiver Robby Anderson (twice) and cornerback Rashard Robinson.