FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Former Major League Baseball player Jim Leyritz was arrested Friday on charges of driving under the influence and killing another driver after his vehicle crashed into hers.
Leyritz, who turned 44 on Thursday, faces charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage, said Detective Kathy Collins, Fort Lauderdale police spokeswoman.
He posted the $11,000 bond and was released from the Broward County jail. It could not be determined whether Leyritz had an attorney.
Fort Lauderdale authorities got a call at 3:20 a.m. that a crash had occurred in the city's entertainment district, Collins said.
She said Leyritz was driving a 2006 Ford Expedition when he collided at an intersection with a 30-year-old woman driving a 2000 Mitsubishi. The woman was ejected from the car. She was critically injured and transported to the Broward General Medical Center, where she died, Collins said. Her identity was not immediately released.
Witnesses told police Leyritz, who lives in Plantation, Fla., had a red light.
Police believe alcohol was involved in the crash, though investigators are waiting for the results of blood alcohol tests, Collins said.
In 1996, Leyritz hit a clutch home run for the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series against Atlanta. The blast tied the game at 6, and the Yankees went on to win in 10 innings. New York eventually won the Series in six games, giving the team its first title in 18 years.
Leyritz last played in the majors in 2000, when he hit .209 in 115 at-bats with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. In 11 seasons, he played for six teams, including the Yankees, Angels, Rangers, Red Sox, Padres and Dodgers. A career .264 hitter, Leyritz had 90 homers and 387 RBIs in 903 games.
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