Feb 28, 2006 7:43 pm US/Central
Former Viking Eller Charged With Drunken Driving
Minneapolis (AP) ―
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Carl Eller
Hennepin County Jail
NFL Hall of Famer and Carl Eller was charged Tuesday with drunken driving, and a prosecutor said the former Minnesota Viking likely faces probation and community service if convicted.
A Minnesota State Patrol trooper clocked Eller driving erratically and going 97 mph in a 55 mph zone on Interstate 394 in Golden Valley early Sunday, the criminal complaint said. The trooper pulled Eller over and noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and that he smelled of alcohol, the complaint said.
Eller, 64, of Minneapolis, swayed back and forth as the trooper administered some field sobriety tests, the complaint said. It said Eller then declined further field sobriety tests, claiming he was unable to perform them because he had had his knees replaced.
A preliminary Breathalyzer test indicated Eller's blood alcohol level was 0.117 percent, compared with the state's legal limit of 0.08 percent, the complaint said. After phoning an attorney, the complaint said, Eller refused further testing.
Eller was released after posting $500 bail.
Golden Valley, Minn. city prosecutor Frank Rondoni on Tuesday charged Eller with three counts -- a gross misdemeanor count of third-degree driving while intoxicated for refusing testing, plus misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree DWI and reckless driving.
Eller is due to appear in Hennepin County District Court in Minnetonka, Minn. on March 22, when he's expected to enter a plea.
His cell phone voice mail box was full and not accepting messages Tuesday evening.
Rondoni said there was no indication Eller has any prior alcohol related offenses. But Eller had been an acknowledged substance abuser, became a treatment counselor and spoke publicly to groups about the problems of chemical dependency.
The prosecutor said Eller, if convicted, would likely be put on probation for two years and have to perform community service or serve on a work crew. He probably would also be required to complete whatever steps recommended by an alcohol assessment, Rondoni said.
Eller was member of the Vikings' famed "Purple People Eaters" defense in his 15 years as a defensive end with Minnesota. He played in six Pro Bowls and all four of the Vikings' trips to the Super Bowl. He finished his career in 1979 with the Seattle Seahawks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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