'The Challenge' Star Arrested for Alleged DWI After Near-Fatal Crash

More details are emerging concerning the car accident in March, which almost resulted in the death of The Challenge star Nelson Thomas and caused him to sustain life-changing injuries. On Monday, it was revealed Nelson had been arrested on September 28 for Driving While Intoxicated, the offense related to the night of the March 6 car accident. 

The Ashley obtained additional court documents showing Nelson was charged with DWI for allegedly being over the legal Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) at the time of his accident. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Nelly T on June 29, 2023, according to documents obtained by The Ashley.

In March of this year, Nelson was pulled from his burning vehicle by Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn and three other bystanders after crashing his car in Austin, Texas, whom he credits with saving his life. The injury has led Nelson to numerous hospitalizations, surgeries, and physical therapy sessions to regain full foot and ankle function. 

It was revealed last month that Nelson's ankle was not healing, and he could face amputation. He is currently receiving stem cell therapy. Initially published on Vevmo and obtained by The Ashley, Nelson's near-fatal accident is described in an affidavit and arrest warrant application.

"Multiple [911] callers reported a vehicle had struck a pole and was now on fire with a person unconscious still seated inside…" According to the report, police arrived to find K.J. Osborn and the others standing over Nelson after he was pulled from the car and laid on the ground.

"The male was bleeding from his mouth and had blood all over his pants," the report states. "EMS arrived and began treating the injured male. He was later identified as Thomas, Nelson…"

Nelson lost control of his car on the night of the crash, went off the road, and crashed into a bridge, according to the report. When the officers spoke with Nelson on the night of the crash, he told them that another car swerved in front of him, which caused him to lose control of his car. 

The officer "noted that Nelson had bloodshot, glassy eyes" and that Nelson admitted to having "2-3 mixed alcoholic drinks." In the hospital that night, the officer interviewed Nelson again. "This time [the officer] detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from [Nelson's] breath," according to the report, which also noted that due to Nelson's injuries on the night of the crash, only one Standardized Field Sobriety Test could be administered.

According to the report, the officer performed a Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test on Nelson, and he concluded that Nelson was intoxicated. "formed the opinion that Nelson was intoxicated, having lost the normal use of his mental and physical facilities due to the introduction of alcohol into his system." 

It has been reported that Nelson was arrested that night for DWI, but he was released from jail because his injuries needed to be treated. A blood sample was taken that night, and a search warrant was executed on June 8 in order to obtain the results. Nelson's Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was reported to be 0.178, which is above the legal limit for driving in Texas of 0.008.

The fact that Nelson's BAC was reportedly above the legal limit gave him an enhancement on his charge. Nelson was officially charged with a Class A misdemeanor since it was over 0.15. A judge granted Nelson's $5,000 bond request on July 13, The Ashley confirmed.

"Defendant is dealing with a serious medical condition in which he does not have full mobility of one of his legs," his attorney wrote in a motion he filed regarding Nelson's bond, which The Ashley was able to obtain. "…Defendant is eager to get this warrant taken care of and asks this court to set a bond amount so that he can accomplish this as quickly as possible."

On September 28, Nelson was photographed, and his mugshot was posted on austinmugshots.net. He had paid his $5,000 bond on that day. Nelson applied for a change to his bond conditions earlier this month. According to the court paperwork, he does not own a car or have access to a vehicle to drive, so he requested that the requirement that the car have an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) be removed. 

A judge approved Nelson's request on October 16. His next hearing is scheduled for November 16. A GoFundMe fundraiser was set up shortly after Nelson's accident to cover his medical bills. As of press time, more than $58,000 has been raised. Despite the documents' release, he has not publicly commented on what caused the accident.