Michael Phelps Taking Time Off From Sports To Attend Help Program After Second DUI Arrest [TWEETS]

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was arrested for DUI for the second time, last Tuesday, Sepetmeber 30, and was also charged with excessive speed and crossing double lane lines within the Fort McHenry Tunnel on I-95 in Baltimore. The Maryland Transportation Authority reported he “appeared to be under the influence,” and was unable to perform standard field sobriety tests. Phelps had a blood-alcohol level of .14 percent, well above the Maryland legal limit of .08, and was “disoriented” and “argumentative.” Phelps had been previously sentenced to 18 months probation after pleading guilty to drunk driving shortly after the Athens Olympics in 2004. The swimming superstar apologized publicly on Twitter on the same day of the arrest:

After a few days, the Olympic champion took to his official Facebook page to publish a statement saying, “The past few days have been extremely difficult. I recognize that this is not my first lapse in judgment, and I am extremely disappointed with myself. I’m going to take some time away to attend a program that will provide the help I need to better understand myself. Swimming is a major part of my life, but right now I need to focus my attention on me as an individual, and do the necessary work to learn from this experience and make better decisions in the future.”