Rick Brandsteder was arrested by the police last March after he drove his car into the shoulder. The 41-year-old presenter, who had an excessive blood alcohol level, appeared in court on Monday.
On March 3, Brandsteder ended up with his car in the shoulder in his hometown of Breukelen. The presenter was apprehended with a blood alcohol level of 1.83, which is equivalent to fourteen glasses of beer. A hearing took place on Monday, his lawyer confirms to NU.nl, who does not want to make any further statements about the case.
Brandsteder stated in court that he had only drunk two beers behind the wheel. The loss of his father Ron, who died in February at the age of 74, would have been the cause of his alcohol consumption.
Traces of drugs were also found in Brandsteder’s blood. “An unfortunate coincidence,” he said. “I occasionally smoked a joint to ease the loss of my father.”
But it didn’t stop with just joints. Brandsteder was said to have been at his father’s house that afternoon to sort things out. “I was so overcome by emotions that I drove to the supermarket,” he explained. “There I bought a six-pack of beer and a bottle of jenever.”
‘Waited 45 minutes and continued drinking’
After drinking two beers, Brandsteder would have ended up in the shoulder. He says he waited for a farmer to free his car from the precarious situation. “I waited there for 45 minutes and then continued drinking. I also opened the bottle of jenever.”
According to the eyewitness who called the police, Brandsteder was swerving across the road. “According to him, the car barely came to a stop and was hanging halfway over the ditch,” the judge said. “In the observation cell you were unsteady on your feet, lost your balance and almost fell forward a few times.”
Based on the evidence, the judge cannot determine whether Brandsteder drank two beers or more alcohol before coming to a standstill. Further investigation is therefore currently being carried out. The presenter has now received his driver’s license back.
Brandsteder was admitted to a rehab clinic in 2022 due to an alcohol addiction. He has now sought professional help again. “I haven’t drunk anything since then either,” he said.