Benson ordered to install breathalyzer device in car

Benson ordered to install breathalyzer device in car

Former Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson was ordered to install an ignition interlock breathalyzer in his car in a pretrial hearing Monday, according to the Austin Statesman.

Travis County Court-at-Law Judge Elisabeth Earle imposed the conditions on Benson, who was arrested twice on alcohol-related charges in a five-week span.

The device prevents Benson from starting the ignition if it detects alcohol. Earle also directed Benson to take alcohol counseling courses as a condition of his bail.

A former first-round pick of the Bears after a standout career at the University of Texas, Benson was waived by the team on June 9 after he was charged with driving while intoxicated. He was arrested after refusing a breathalyzer and blood test.

Five weeks earlier, Benson was arrested in Lake Travis - which is near Austin - on charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest.

Benson has vehemently disputed those charges in the boating incident, claiming he was not drunk and did not resist - as was charged in the police report by officers from the Lower Colorado River Authority police during a random safety inspection.

On June 8, Benson was stopped after his BMW was seen going through a red light at 3:15 a.m. in Austin’s entertainment district, according to Austin police spokesman Veneza Aguinaga.

Benson also disputed those charges. His Austin-based attorney, Sam Bassett, told the Chicago Sun-Times that his client did not run a red light and was not drunk.

The No. 4 overall pick by the Bears in the 2005 draft, Benson had a disappointing NFL career, failing to reach 1,000 yards rushing in his three seasons in Chicago. He played in 35 games for the Bears, starting 12.

In 2007, Benson’s season was cut short by a broken leg, an injury which sidelined him for the final five games. He averaged a career low of 3.4 yards per carry last year, finishing the season with 674 yards and four touchdowns on 196 carries.

While at Texas, Benson was arrested twice - on a misdemeanor trespassing charge in 2003 for entering an apartment to retrieve a television that he reported stolen, and on misdemeanor drug and alcohol charges in 2002 that eventually were dropped.

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