Actor Sam Shepard Arrested for Drunken Driving

Pulitzer winning playwright and actor Sam Shepard has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Santa Fe.

The restaurant security complained about the 71 year old actor being possibly intoxicated and when questioned by the police, the actor said that he had only 2 tequila drinks and was going to drive home.

Santa Fe police Lt Andrea Dobyns on Tuesday said, "Our officer could smell alcohol on his breath, and he had bloodshot, watery eyes."

Dobyns recalled that the hotel security were concerned about the driver's condition and called the police at 7:45 on Monday. During that time, Shepard was trying to leave in his pickup even as the emergency brake had been applied.

The actor then declined to take a breath test but accepted to perform of field sobriety test, which he later failed.

The arrest seems to be Shepard's second charge for drunk driving. He was arrested in 2009 when he was found driving his vehicle 16 mph above the 30 mph speed limit and his blood alcohol level was also found to be twice above the legal limit.

Sam Shepard won his playwright Pulitzer in 1979 for his play Buried Child. Since then he has also featured in a number of popular films like Steel Magnolias, Black Hawk Down, Thunder heart, The Note Book, Walker Payne, Baby Boom and the County.