‘Wicked Tuna’ Star Facing Drunk Driving Charge

A Wicked Tuna star’s brother is facing a DUI charge after a multicar accident on Oct. 28, 2022. The police arrested Michael Ott, 41, from Broad Channel, New York, after a report of a multiple-car accident in Gloucester, Massachusetts at 6:10 p.m. Oct. 28. Police did not report any serious injuries. Ott was charged with drunken driving, violating marked lanes, speeding, and negligent operation, reported Gloucester Daily Times. Ott is the brother of T.J. Ott, captain of Hot Tuna, a fishing vessel featured in National Geographic’s shows Wicked Tuna and Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks. From 2017 to 2020, Mike Ott worked as a deckhand on his brother’s boat. Upon arrival, officers reported seeing several cars with heavy damage and numerous vehicles stopped in traffic with their drivers assisting accident victims.

According to the report, police noticed a white GMC Sierra pickup with extensive front-end damage and a red Chevrolet Tahoe with extensive front-end damage to the driver’s side. A witness also told police a red Dodge pickup was about 100 feet away. As Ott sat in the white GMC, the red Chevy’s driver shouted at him from outside, police said. According to an officer who spoke with the driver of the red Chevy, “Ott continued to call me and say … that he was a Wicked Tuna guy. During their conversation, Ott said ‘everything is fine, can I go home.’” The officers reported that Ott had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and that his speech was slurred, reported Gloucester Daily Times.

As the Tahoe’s driver told police, he was headed toward Essex Avenue when the GMC pickup struck the Dodge Ram in front of him, which caused the Dodge to spin out of control. According to the driver, the GMC crossed the yellow line making it impossible for the Dodge to avoid a collision since it was speeding in the other direction. He said the GMC continued on towards him after hitting the Dodge head-on, striking his Chevy in the left front. After police asked Ott to step out of his car, he appeared unsteady on his feet. An ambulance crew evaluated him, but he declined medical treatment, according to the report. The report stated that Ott was initially willing to do field sobriety tests but then, becoming combative and argumentative, told the officer: “You will regret this.” The report states Ott refused to submit to a chemical test and continued to be argumentative and uncooperative during booking. Ambulances transported the other drivers to Beverly Hospital for further evaluation.