The following story was issued by The Associated Press.
Pro Wrestler Kurt Angle Arrested Near Thompson, ND
GRAND FORKS (AP) — An Olympic gold medalist turned pro wrestler was arrested early Friday morning after he was found sitting behind the wheel of a sport utility vehicle in the median of Interstate 29 near Thompson, the North Dakota Highway Patrol said.
Highway Patrol Capt. Kevin Robson says that Kurt Angle, 42, failed a field sobriety test and was arrested. The charge is actual physical control, which means he’s not accused of drunken driving but of being behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated.
“He was very cooperative,” Robson said. “He was a gentleman the entire time, a very nice guy.”
Angle was released after posting $300 cash bond, and he performed Friday night at the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling show at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.
Angle in a Twitter post said he was not drunk but was in ice storm and his car slid into 3 feet of snow.
“Don’t believe everything you read,” he said in his posts. “My life is good and this is a speed bump in the road. The truth will come out.”
A passer-by on Interstate 29 reported a vehicle was in the median a couple miles south of the Thompson exit about 12:15 a.m.
Robson said a trooper found Angle behind the wheel of a red Dodge Durango and smelled alcohol coming from the vehicle.
Angle initially claimed he had hit an icy patch, Robson said, but the road was dry. Angle later said he had received a text message that distracted him and caused him to go into the median, the captain said.
Angle won a gold medal wrestling for the U.S. at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.