MLB Star Todd Helton Sentenced to Jail Time for 2019 DUI

Todd Helton, a former MLB player who spent his entire career with the Colorado Rockies, was sentenced two days in jail over a DUI charge from 2019, according to TMZ. Helton pleaded guilty to the DUI charge in court last month. The incident happened on March 18, 2019, in Knoxville, Tennessee when he lost control of his truck and crashed it into a pole, according to police. When officers arrived on the scene, Helton was being attended to by medical personal, and he admitted to taking Ambien before he got behind the wheel.

Officers said they didn't conduct a field sobriety test or interview the five-time All-Star because he was being transported to the hospital. According to USA Today, officers said: "due to the totality of the circumstances, and due to the arrestee needing immediate medical treatment away from the scene," Helton received a misdemeanor citation "in lieu of custodial arrest." Helton's lawyer, Stephen Ross Johnson, said in a statement: "He realizes there are parts of his behavior that need to change, and he is focused on doing just that."

Helton entered a treatment program after the crash, but the case lasted for nearly a year after he cut a deal with prosecutors on March 10. With Helton pleading guilty, it led to him serving a 48-hour sentence, a spokesperson for the Knox County district attorney's office said to TMZ. Along with jail time, Helton also received 11 months and 29 days of probation, a $350 fine, and he got his license suspended for a year.

Helton started his MLB career in 1997, and his final season was in 2013. Along with being a five-time All-Star (2000-2004), Helton is a three-time Gold Glove winner, a four-time Silver Slugger winner, and he was the batting champion in 2000. In his career, Helton posted a .316 batting average with 2,519 hits, 369 home runs, and 1,406 RBIs. In 2014, Helton's No. 17 jersey was retired by the Rockies.

"Thank you all so much. What a great turnout," Helton said during a ceremony before a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds in 2014 per USA Today. "I'm proud to say I'm a Colorado Rockie for life. There's no greater honor for me than having my number retired from the team that I put my heart and soul into."