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Report: Abby Wambach flipped car, left scene in 2014 wreck

Photo by Andy Marlin/USA Today Sports
Photo by Andy Marlin/USA Today Sports

Abby Wambach pled guilty to DUI last month, but it appears that the incident wasn’t the first auto-related issue for the U.S. Women’s National Team star.

TMZ reported on Monday that Wambach flipped her vehicle in June 2014 before departing the scene without calling local law enforcement. The police were eventually notified by the owner of the property that the car was left on, and police proceeded to locate Wambach at her home roughly one mile away.

Wambach told police that she opted to walk home because she was without her cell phone and had no means to contact anyone regarding the wreck. Wambach was not issued any form of sobriety test, and was never charged with any crime stemming from the incident. Wambach reportedly remained in contact with the homeowner and paid for the damages caused by the accident.

The retired USWNT star, who was hired by ESPN last week, pled guilty to DUI last month and is has been enrolled a drug and alcohol treatment facility.

Comments

  1. Well I didn’t try to elaborate on your claim because I only needed to correct it: I never said TMZ was sketchy as a source, and I clarified that.

    Now, if you don’t see how the report and what we know of this incident is sketchy, then a dictionary may be of help, because even those jumping to conclusions about Wambach here still acknowledge that there are aspects and details that are unknown / unverified. That makes it sketchy by definition.

    You might also look at it this way, if a starker contrast would help illustrate things:

    Abby Wambach incident: sketchy
    Romeo Parkes incident: not sketchy

    Hope Solo incident: sketchy
    Ray Rice incident: not sketchy

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  2. So much quick and harsh judgment being so freely passed by people clearly not in the know, all based on a sketchy report. Good job, denizens of the Internet!

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    • Oh please, Wambach is annoying and selfish. She runs her mouth without thinking. Solo is just a despicable human being. This is coming from a guy who likes women’s soccer and has been following women’s (college soccer) and the USWNT since the early 90’s. Sometimes the loundest voices are the most annoying or carry the most baggage etc.

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  3. Separate from the ESPN issue is an equally important question — did she tell the USSF? If the USSF knew about this, did they consider suspending her? I’m not saying they should have suspended her, but athletes get suspended for all manner of off-the-field behavior these days.

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    • Not domestic violence, apparenty (if you’re a member of the USWNT). Stealing a USSF van and having your husband drive drunk warrants a temporary suspension, however.

      Makes sense, right?

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      • Now she’s probably the loudest voice bashing the federation and Men’s team. Funny how that works out.

      • Now she’s probably the loudest voice bashing the federation and Men’s team. Funny how that works out.

        Don’t forget Abby Wambach either. Despite not being on the team anymore, she was on Good Morning America the next day going on and on about the lawsuit and comparing the men’s team to the women’s.

        USMNT have two of the poorest spokewomen possible for this issue.

  4. Maybe if she had been paid more she could have just hired a driver…

    …I hear Jerramy Stevens runs an Uber out of a U.S. Soccer Federation van.

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    • I am going to assume this is sarcasm, but in case it is not, the top 10 men and women players got paid relatively the same by US Soccer. I am pretty sure Wambach was a top 10 player in her prime so she definitely got paid.

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    • It’s kind of spooky now, but as I posted in the prior “ESPN hiring Abby” post on SBI, Abby Wambach literally translates to “Luxury car smashing into a church building”. Makes you think

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  5. Having bad experiences with alcohol/drugs usually runs in streaks (Robert Downey Jr.). Since she
    is in rehab, I think we should wait until we see if it works. She has scored enough touchdowns that
    she is entitled to a few fumbles.

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    • No ones entitled to risk the lives of innocent people…. No matter how many “touchdowns” they score. Otherwise, Tom Brady could mow down half the country and sip his coffee in his living room the next morning….

      I understand wanting to support a person in getting help but let’s not stretch that to exonerating due to sporting accolades…..

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      • (Back from Vacation) With respect to people putting others lives at risk with their driving
        habits, every time you exceed the speed limit, switch lanes without signaling, or tail-gate
        someone in front of you, you are putting others lives at risk. For every person cited for DUI,
        police estimates are that at least 200 are not. Most males have done a DUI in their lifetime.
        I say let he who is without sin, cast the first stone at Abby.

  6. No one walks a mile to their house after flipping their car, unless your Jason Bourne. Sounds like the officer who stopped at her house was either sloppy or was told by a higher up not to give her a sobriety test. Either way, I think most will conclude she was intoxicated at some level and trying to hide something.

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    • Really? Having been in a flipped car as a passenger without any alcohol or drugs being involved and walking 5 miles to the next gas station to call for assistance (cell phones weren’t a big thing then) all I can do is laugh.

      Not saying I believe a word of her story, but presumptively rejecting it as impossible is moronic.I promise I am not Jason Bourne.

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      • Your little scenario only makes sense if there wasn’t a house with a phone nearby. First you knock on the door of the people whose property you have damaged, and ask for help. Then, and only then, do you high tailed it for a mile like Jason Bourne (or the Hollywood hero of your choice) to your house. Any level-headed adult will tell you that leaving the scene of an accident immediately cast some doubt over your story.

        But thanks for the personal anecdote. Very enriching.

      • As long as we are exchanging anecdotes, I have an interesting one. I was riding with a friend in winter when his car hit some black ice. Even though he was only going about 25 miles an hour he could not stop the car from sliding into a ditch. No telling how far we would have had to walk to find a phone or even a house. Fortunately, within about 5 minutes a fairly large truck came along (it was a pretty isolated area, so we were lucky),saw us, pulled over, had a stout rope, and pulled the car out of the ditch. So her scenario is quite possible.

      • You are really reaching, Gary. Abby has a long history of being a partier. That was a big reason she was not an automatic on the national team when she was coming out of Florida. The disappointing thing about these recent incidents is that a big part of her story has been that she became such a great player and finally fulfilled her potential only after she supposedly became a more mature woman. She sold her motorcycle, got more serious about the game, and supposedly starting making better decisions off the field. Unfortunately, there are a lot of signs that point to this being an accident involving alcohol from her distant and recent past.

  7. At least two (that we know of) incidents involving her operating vehicles and possible alcohol. I don’t think it’s unrealistic to imagine this is a habit for her and she’s done this many times.

    Ultimately, if she has dependency or self-control issues that’s on her, but routinely putting others lives at risk because you’re an idiot is criminal and lacking any decency for others. I’m all for second chances, but this goes beyond that.

    I don’t see how ESPN continues with her employment unless other factors are weighed and different sets of accountability are applied to her because of….”other”….variables. You know the ones.

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    • ESPN employed Curt Schilling for years despite the filth he spoke on social media. They finally canned his sorry ass after repeated offenses, suspensions, and a huge backlash from the outside. So Wambach probably has long leash before she is canned. Sad but true.

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    • I believe the legal term is assuming facts not in evidence. You are leaping to a lot of conclusions here and from that you say should be fired as a commentator. And then make a snide remark about other variables. While we are usually on the same side in soccer commentary, we are way different, I see, when it comes to jurisprudence, constitutional rights, and the law. Before commenting on an issue like this you should become better acquainted with legal issues. Did you know that alcoholism is considered a disability under the ADA? You can’t fire someone just for being an alcoholic and certainly not for the suspicion of being one. It makes me wonder if you are so quick to judge because you don’t approve of her homosexuality.

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      • I personally don’t see the need here to propose a commenter is homophobic. He made his statement and it could apply to a person with any sexually orientation.

        Also imho, being an alcoholic isn’t a crime, but getting behind the wheel after drinking is, plain and simple. One doesn’t get behind the wheel BECAUSE they’re an alcoholic… They get behind the wheel because they are foolish; and actions have consequences. If an alcoholic killed your kin would their excuse of “sorry I’m an alcoholic” be enough closure for you? Just curious.

        Cheers

      • I think the issue is with the “different sets of accountability are applied to her because of….”other”….variables. You know the ones.”

        Certainly there are personal conduct clauses written into the contracts at ESPN, but since both incidents occurred before employment I don’t think we’ll see ESPN terminate because of this reporting of a past car accident. ESPN knows what its getting, just as they did with Schilling, Limbaugh, Bill Simmons, Cowhard, Oberman, and Limbaugh.

      • Before commenting on an issue like this you should become better acquainted with legal issues.

        No, I really shouldn’t.

        I will utilize my ability to express an opinion freely about someone that has a prominent role within the public eye, when I’m a member of the general public.

        I don’t take calling for someone’s employment to be taken away lightly. However, this goes beyond sports and I have zero sympathy for people who recklessly operates vehichles while intoxicated.

        I don’t take offense to the homophobic assumption as it does not apply. The ambigious statement was my attempt to highlight the white knight syndrome applying different set of rules, responsibilities and ramifications to someone because of their gender, race or sexual preference.

        I’m calling it like I see it. You’re free to disagree, but I don’t owe you or Wambach extensive research into the judicial system to form an opinion because I’ve never presented it as fact or criminally binding.

      • Gary Page

        I think it is VERY funny that you accuse him of jumping to conclusions when you make an even bigger jump in conclusion. Listen, I am a licensed attorney in NY (granted, I am not a litigator), and “leaving the scene of an accident” can be a traffice infraction or crime. However, this is not legal forum and the OP is allowed to have draw an opinion that not admissible in a court room.

        In terms of Abby, she is guilt of leaving the scene of an accident. I don’t buy she wanted to go home and call because SHE ROLLED HER CAR ONTO SOMEONE’S property. She could have knocked on the door and asked. However, although there were not sobriety tests conducted, one could easily assume she was under the influence (as an opinion).

        Btw, “leaving the scene of an accident” is governed by New York Vehicle and Traffic Law. If the damage is limited to just property damage and no individual is hurt then the charge is a traffic infraction. The consequences of that infraction can still be as much as 15 days in jail (depending on the facts). If someone is hurt, then it is a crime and a class A misdemeanor (and can lead to multiple years in jail depending on the situation).

      • Anthony, I deliberately jumped to a conclusion about homophobia as an object lesson about how you should not jump to conclusions. As for the leaving the scene incident, the article does not indicate where it happened. In California there is a set dollar amount in damage above which you are required to report an accident. I can’t recall the amount , and it has probably changed anyway, but if the property damage is below a certain amount, the accident does not have to be reported. Since we don’t know where the accident occurred, nor what the private property was (an empty field, somebody;’s front yard?), it’s pretty useless to speculate on whether what she did was a violation except to note that the police did not charge her with a crime after learning of the incident.

      • Anthony, I want to correct something I said, since I was insufficiently clear. It’s not that you don’t have to report an accident under a certain amount of damage, What the case is that you don’t have to remain at the scene for the police to arrive to take a report. You are required to exchange information with the other party who suffered damage and, if the other party is not there, leave your personal information there. You then can call in the report later or let your insurance company take care of it. Thus, if the Wambach incident occurred in CA, it is possible she acted within the law. This also assumes no injuries. Also, if the accident occurs on private property the police won’t respond unless there is an injury.

      • Gary,

        I see what you are trying to do now, but it was not clear in the initial posting. In terms of Abby, I am pretty sure she lives in the Rochester area. NY state law applies, which is why I jumped in with a legal context. While I agree that local state law governs, in this particular case, it is NY laws. She left the scene of accident by letter of the law. One flips a vehicle, which one was driving, onto someone else’s property then you walk away leaving the owner of the home to call the police. That is (1) an accident and (2) leaving the scene thereof. In NY state, that is a traffic infraction, not a misdemeanor crime (because no one was hit). However, depending on the circumstances, it can lead to 15 days in jail (not prison). One has to believe that the police cut her slack because she is a pretty big deal in Rochester/upstate NY.

        The whole incident is sketchy.

    • If you had refrained yourself to something like I hope they throw the book at here for drunk driving because it puts other drivers on the road at great risk, I would have had no problem. but you went way beyond that. And while you object to a different standard, the “white knight syndrome” you call it, what you are doing is actually applying a different set of standards for her now. If she weren’t a celebrity none of this would be known, being her first DUI she probably would have gotten a slap on the wrist, and the other episode mentioned here would have never come to light and it should have no bearing on her present situation. I tend to be sensitive about people getting the full protection of laws and rights because i once had my life severely damaged by a false charge that was never properly investigated.

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      • If you had refrained yourself to something like I hope they throw the book at here for drunk driving because it puts other drivers on the road at great risk, I would have had no problem. but you went way beyond that.

        I’m not going to “refrain” from expressing an opinion whether you or anyone else has a problem with it. I’m not afraid of reading opposing views and I’m never short on providing them.

        And while you object to a different standard, the “white knight syndrome” you call it, what you are doing is actually applying a different set of standards for her now.

        In terms of…? In terms of her being a public figure, sure. There’s greater responsibility (and often greater leniency) when you’re a prominent figure. However, to provide some context, when it was announced she was hired by ESPN my exact opinion (that was expressed on this board) was as follows:

        “I didn’t care for her xenophobic remarks but I appreciate her willingness to speak her mind (even if it was ignorant). She screwed up with the drunk driving and everyone deserves a second chance.

        Should be a good gig for her moving forward. Good for her.” (5/4/16)

        If she weren’t a celebrity none of this would be known

        …but she’s is.

        I tend to be sensitive about people getting the full protection of laws and rights because i once had my life severely damaged by a false charge that was never properly investigated

        Now we’re getting somewhere and probably to the root of our impasse. I’m sorry you were subjected to this kind of treatment. I, too, have some skin in the game when I lost a loved one that was killed by a drunk driver.

        Ultimately, I’m not villainizing her if she has addiction issues. I take huge concern and issue if she’s subjecting innocent people to her demons. That’s my biggest issue and I make no apologies if this most recent report indicates a pattern of behavior

      • Old School,
        I hope we agree that she should be treated the same as anyone else–no better, no worse. The US should be about equality under the law, which is why they added the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

      • I took a few psych classes in college and I have learned a lot from my fiance who is a clinical therapist/counselor. Perhaps I can help both of you talk through your issues. No I am not talking about the two respective issues you guys brought up above (which I am genuinely sympathetic too), I am talking about your admiration for Jurgen Klinsmann. I think there is still hope for you guys. You can still be “fixed”. 😉

        I kidd I kidd.

      • I am talking about your admiration for Jurgen Klinsmann. I think there is still hope for you guys. You can still be “fixed”. ?

        Let’s not get carried away here!

    • It is possible that her DUIs could be related to all the concussions she has endured in her career. It is not uncommon for football players who have suffered multiple concussions like Ted Johnson or Junior Seau to have problems with drugs and/or alcohol.

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