I left the TNA house show in Fargo, ND, around 9:45 in the evening. About two and a half hours later, Kurt Angle was found stuck in a median on I29 just south of Thompson, ND, about 65 miles north of Fargo.
It was reported by the Grand Forks Herald that a passerby alerted authorities of a red Dodge Durango stuck that was stuck on the median. When North Dakota Highway Patrol arrived, they found Angle sitting behind the wheel and smelled alcohol coming from the vehicle. Angle then failed field sobriety tests and was arrested for actual physical control. State trooper, Kevin Robson, noted that Angle was polite and cooperative though the ordeal.
Angle posted bail and performed the following night at a TNA house show at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND, where he defeated Jeff Jarrett in the main event.
This isn’t Angle’s first run-in with the law. In 2007, Angle was charged with driving under the influence and careless driving after a woman called the police claiming that Angle nearly ran her over. Angle went to court but was found not guilty and cleared of all charges since police could not corroborate the claims of the witness.
Since I live in the Fargo area, one would think a reasonable route for the talent flown in for the Thursday house show would be to stay in Fargo that night. The show took place downtown and there are plenty of hotels in the area, one of which is connected to the Fargo Civic Center via a skyway, that wrestlers could have stayed at. Grand Forks is a short 70 mile drive to the north.
TNA may want to rethink their rules and regulations regarding such actions. Thankfully Angle did harm himself or anyone else while driving and was able to fulfill his commitments with performing at the weekend house shows, but this situation could have been averted without painting the promotion in a bad light.
I’m not a saint by any means and have gotten behind the wheel when I shouldn’t have, but I was never traveling for a work related function or driving long distances such as 70 miles either. Better decisions need to be made, both on the part of TNA and Kurt Angle himself, so incidents such as this do not happen again.
