Former Predators star Martin Erat denies DUI
Former Nashville Predators forward Martin Erat, who faces multiple charges including driving under the influence on Feb. 1 according to Nolensville and Brentwood police records, spoke publicly about the incident for the first time this week.
In a Feb. 12 interview with Czech-based sports website iSport, which was originally published in Czech and translated into English using Google Translate, Erat admitted he was involved in an accident, but denied that he was driving drunk.
"Yes, I had an accident," Erat told iSport. "I was driving to a children's game early in the afternoon. It was already cold outside, the road was not treated, so I lost control and slightly crashed into a car near the house."
On Feb. 1, according to Nolensville Police, Erat was identified as the driver of a vehicle that struck a parked vehicle outside of a Nolensville home. Erat left the scene of the accident, then was involved in another accident involving a mailbox in the city of Brentwood.
Erat faces two charges in Nolensville according to police records, including leaving the scene of an accident and failure to exercise due care. He faces three charges in Brentwood according to police records, including leaving the scene of an accident, failure to exercise due care, and driving under the influence. No injuries were reported in either accident.
Erat was booked on Feb. 1 by Brentwood police, then released on Feb. 2 after posting a $3 million bond, according to police records.
Erat's told iSport he had not been drinking alcohol, but was ill and on medication.
"I was sick. So I had medicine in me that the doctor prescribed. It is used when a person has the flu. And it had a little bit of alcohol in it," said Erat, adding that blood tests showed he did not drink alcohol that day.
Brentwood police told The Tennessean on Friday they cannot provide more details on the incident until after Erat's court date, which is currently set for the end of April.
The Tennessean has reached out to Erat's representation for comment, but has not heard back.
Erat told iSport he made attempts to contact the owner of the car in Nolensville, then called police when the owner of the home did not answer.
"I rang the bell, no one was home. But then I called the police myself so that everything would go through the official route. Precisely to avoid problems. When you hit a car in the parking lot and drive away, it's not right. So that's why I called the police myself."
Erat, a seventh-round draft pick in 1999, played 723 games in 11 seasons with the Predators (2001 to 2013). He ranks fifth in goals (163), fourth in assists (318) and fourth in points (481) in franchise history.
Erat is listed as the director of hockey and player development for the Nashville Warriors, a youth hockey team in Nolensville. He is also listed as a coach for the Junior Predators, a youth hockey team based in Nashville. Though they share the Predators name, the Junior Predators are not a part of the Nashville Predators organization.
"I (coach) children's hockey, I want to do it right," Erat told iSport. "I care about it. I'm even more sorry for what has happened around it."
ESTES: I wrote about a lack of fun in Nashville's sports. The Predators called my bluff
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Former Nashville Predators star Martin Erat denies driving drunk
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