Busted in the Burgh

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Last week, FTVLive was the FIRST to tell you in a Patron Only story that longtime WPXI Weather Anchor Kevin Benson had been arrested for extreme DUI.

Many at WPXI told FTVLive that they were surprised to learn that Benson had been busted and a number of people learned that news from FTVLive.

Well, a week later and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette has finally gotten around to the story.

Later yesterday afternoon, the Post Gazette posted the story that FTVLive FIRST brought you a week ago. Blood tests showed that Benson had a blood alcohol content nearly four times the legal limit and had an inactive cocaine metabolite in his blood, according to a criminal complaint.

“All I can tell you is I’ve been on radio and TV for 40 years and I’ve been with [WPXI] since 1987; I made a mistake and I’m hoping they’ll be understanding,” he said Wednesday. “I’ve never had a bit of trouble in all these years.”

As FTVLive told you it appears that WPXI has not covered the story on their anchor’s arrest.

“All I can say is that as part of station policy we don’t comment publicly on personnel matters,” WPXI News Director Scott Trabandt told the paper.

I wonder if the mayor of Pittsburgh was busted for driving drunk and being four times the legal limit, would the station cover that story?

Benson is a public figure and has been on the station since the 80’s clearly that deserves a mention in the newscasts.

FTVLive showed you the booking report on Benson after his arrest.

State Trooper Marco Crivelli spotted Benson’s car as it merged onto I-70 west and pulled it over after he saw that the driver was not staying in one lane and the car was speeding up and slowing down inconsistently.

During the traffic stop, Benson told Trooper Crivelli that he’d been visiting his wife in a hospital and was on his way home, according to the complaint. Benson had glassy eyes, slurred speech and could not complete a sobriety test, the complaint said.

He told the trooper he’d had one glass of wine around noon, according to the complaint.

Benson was arrested and taken to a hospital to draw blood, according to the complaint, which said he was “loud and uncooperative” with the nurses.

“All these years,” he said. “Forty [expletive] years and I make one flipping mistake.”

A mistake that could have gotten himself or someone else killed.

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