Former Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith was arrested in 2013 for a drunk driving offense, according to documents obtained by The Toledo Blade. According to the report, Smith was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and refused to take a breathalyzer test.
The arrest occurred in the early morning hours of February 23, 2013 after being pulled over for speeding (67 mph in a 50 mph zone). The officer on the scene asked Smith to exit the vehicle and noted signs of being under the influence of alcohol, among them the odor of alcohol. Multiple field sobriety tests were conducted before the arrest, and Smith was released on bail to his father at 4:20 a.m. the same morning.
Smith was later found guilty of physical control. A charge of OVI was amended and the charge for speeding was dismissed. Smith was fined $375 and had a license suspended for 180 days. According to Brett McMurphy, the judge who reduced Smith’s charges had some close Ohio State connections that are worth noting.
Judge that reduced Zach Smith’s 2013 drunken driving charges is a 1968 Ohio State graduate & member of The Ohio State University President’s Club https://t.co/GPYnoyicVD
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 13, 2018
This 2013 incident was previously unreported, so news of this 2013 arrest came to light following a request for records by The Toledo Blade.
UPDATE: According to ESPN, Smith claims he kept Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer in the dark regarding the 2013 incident. Although his license was suspended, he was given allowance to drive for work.
Smith's license was suspended, but he had limited driving privileges, according to court docs. His attorney said that he was allowed to drive for work. Otherwise, there's no way an active recruiter could go 6 months without being able to drive without his boss knowing why.
— Dan Murphy (@DanMurphyESPN) August 13, 2018
Smith was fired by Ohio State last month following the revelation of prior alleged domestic abuse by Smith from 2015. Head coach Meyer is currently on administrative leave while Ohio State investigates the situation.