Springsteen Was Arrested for DWI at NJ Federal Park

In the 1980 song "Wreck on the Highway," Bruce Springsteen reflected on the grief caused by a car crash—which will make his arrest for alleged drunk driving all the more disappointing for fans. TMZ reports the 71-year-old rock legend was arrested in a federal park in New Jersey on Nov. 14 for DWI, reckless driving, and consuming alcohol in a closed area. National Parks Service spokeswoman Brenda Ling says Springsteen was arrested at the Gateway National Recreation Area and was "cooperative throughout the process," reports CNBC.

This is apparently Springsteen's first DWI arrest, and NJ.com notes that he doesn't have a history of alcohol-related trouble. In 2016 autobiography Born to Run, he wrote that he didn't have a drink until he was 22 because he saw what alcoholism did to his father. "The terrifying, all-engulfing presence he became when he drank convinced me to never go there," Springsteen wrote. "He lost who he was." The arrest was disclosed just days after Springsteen appeared in a commercial for the first time, a 2-minute Jeep ad that aired during the Super Bowl. TMZ reports that he will have a court appearance in the next few weeks. (More Bruce Springsteen stories.)