Former child star Adam Rich arrested for alleged DUI

Wednesday December 18, 2002

LOS ANGELES (AP) One-time child star Adam Rich, formerly of the 1970s TV show ``Eight Is Enough,'' was arrested early Wednesday after he drove onto a closed portion of Interstate 10 and nearly struck a California Highway Patrol car, authorities said.

Rich, 34, was arrested about 2:30 a.m., and was booked for investigation for driving under the influence, CHP Officer Francisco Villalobos said.

Rich was headed westbound on the freeway when he almost struck the CHP patrol car that was monitoring the closure, authorities said.

Officers stopped Rich and smelled the odor of burnt marijuana inside his vehicle, said CHP Officer John Escobedo. Rich was given field sobriety tests that he failed and he was placed under arrest, he said. No marijuana was found, Escobedo added.

Rich was taken into custody and brought to a hospital after complaining of pain from a previous, unrelated injury, authorities said.

Sporting a beard, sunglasses and dark cap, Rich left jail in the City of Industry about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday and told reporters and photographers that he was pulled over twice by authorities, first when he swerved to avoid a highway barrier.

``And then another couple cops pulled me over and said that it didn't matter that I wasn't drunk that it seemed I wasn't stable enough to drive. So they arrested me, even though the other cops said I wasn't drunk,'' Rich said. ``I've been sober for 10 years.''

Rich also was arrested Dec. 1 by Los Angeles police and booked for felony possession of a controlled substance. Prosecutors have not been presented with the case, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office. Court records show that he has not yet been arraigned.

Rich, who played Nicholas on the TV show ``Eight Is Enough,'' has had previous substance abuse problems. In 1992, he entered a drug rehabilitation program after pleading no contest to felony burglary and drug charges. Those charges stemmed from stealing a drug-filled syringe from a hospital and breaking into a pharmacy.

In 1988, Rich entered the Betty Ford Clinic where he was recovering from cocaine addiction. He was kicked out of another rehabilitation program elsewhere after jumping down a flight of stairs and demanding painkillers.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)