Ex-Yankee Jim Leyritz says accident wasn't fault

Miami, FL

Former major leaguer Jim Leyritz says there's nothing he could have done to avoid a car crash that took a woman's life and prompted a charge of DUI manslaughter.

Leyritz gave an interview to The Miami Herald for a story published Sunday.

In it, he insists the accident wasn't his fault and exhibits an obsession with his case, which is scheduled for trial in September.

Police say Leyritz was drunk when he ran a red light and caused the crash that killed 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch in December 2007 in Fort Lauderdale. Authorities say Veitch also was drunk.

The 45-year-old Leyritz played for six teams in 11 major league seasons, including a stint with the New York Yankees in which he hit a memorable 1996 World Series home run.

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Broward judge says alcohol monitor likely malfunctioned for ex-Yankee Jim Leyritz

Fort Lauderdale, FL

A Broward County judge agreed Friday with ex-Major Leaguer Jim Leyritz that a monitoring device in the former slugger's car probably malfunctioned this week when it showed he had alcohol in his system.

Leyritz, who is awaiting trial on DUI manslaughter charges from a fatal December 2007 crash, could have been sent back to jail if Circuit Judge Marc Gold had decided otherwise.

After hearing from state prosecutor Stefanie Newman, who said the retired New York Yankee submitted urine samples that contradicted the results of the alcohol-monitoring device, Gold concluded Leyritz should not face any penalty.

"I don't believe there's any issue," the judge said.

Leyritz, dressed in a charcoal gray suit and accompanied by his ex-wife and friends, declined comment after the hearing.

His attorney, David Bogenschutz, said he asked for the emergency court hearing to express his concern about the alcohol-monitoring device.

"I was assured the machine would be fail-safe," Bogenschutz told the judge. Its readings, he pointed out, are often enough to send someone to jail.

In fact, earlier this year, Leyritz, 45, was jailed for five days after prosecutors said the monitoring device indicated he had driven after drinking on four separate occasions. Leyritz admitted to those violations.

Gold's decision on Friday did not lift the responsibilty from Leyritz of having the monitoring device on his car, which was a condition of his pretrial release.

On Wedneday, Leyritz became visibly distraught because of the Breathalyzer device's readings when he tried to start his vehicle, according to a police report.

Officers went to Leyritz's Davie home that night after he made a desperate call to a friend. An officer drove Leyritz to Memorial Regional Hospital West in Pembroke Pines, where he checked himself in, complaining of stress. He was discharged Thursday.

A trial date on the DUI manslaughter charge has not been set.

Leyritz is accused of being legally drunk when he failed to heed a red light and collided with a car driven by Fredia Veitch in downtown Fort Lauderdale, killing the 30-year-old woman.

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Ex-Yankee Leyritz, Awaiting DUI Death Trial, Hospitalized After Suicide Talk

New York, NY

Former Yankee Jim Leyritz had every reason not to drink and drive. In December 2007 he crashed into 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch's car and killed her while under the influence; above is video of Leyritz talking to police on that occasion. Last April, while Leyritz awaited trial, cops put a device in his car to make sure he wasn't still drinking and driving, and it showed that he did, four times. Leyritz has nonetheless insisted that the accident was Veitch's fault (she was reportedly drunk too). Wednesday cops went to check on him, and he announced to them that he was under a lot of stress; he had tried to start his car again, but the anti-drunk-driving device wouldn't let him, and he was upset that the result would get him put back in jail. The cops got the idea that he was suicidal, so they took him to the hospital. He came back home today and has been consulting with his lawyer, probably in anticipation of legal action.

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Judge frees ex-Yankee Jim Leyritz from jail in fatal DUI case

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Former Yankee Jim Leyritz caught a legal break Tuesday when a Broward circuit judge released him from jail.

Leyritz, facing DUI manslaughter charges stemming from the December 2007 crash that killed Fredia Veitch, 30, in Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here., was jailed Friday after Judge Marc Gold revoked his bond. A court-ordered monitoring device showed he drove four times with alcohol in his system since September, a violation of his bond.

But prosecutors had challenged an unrelated decision Gold had made, which put the case in the hands of the Fourth District Court of Appeal.

Because of that, Gold said Tuesday he did not have jurisdiction to order Leyritz jailed.

State Attorney's spokesman Ron Ishoy said prosecutors will ask the appeals court to relinquish jurisdiction so another Broward judge can rule on whether Leyritz should return to jail.

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Former Yankee Jim Leyritz says victim was at fault in fatal crash

New York, NY

Fallen Yankee hero Jim Leyritz, speaking for the first time after the DUI accident that killed a Florida mother, said he has had trouble hiding his pain from his children ever since the crash.

"I can't tell you how many times that I put them to bed and I walk outside so they didn't see me break down and cry," Leyritz, 44, said in an emotional interview with the Daily News.

Leyritz, his eyes red and watery as he recalled the moments following the fatal accident, remembered feeling lost and in shock.

"I know I'm going to jail, but I just don't know how long I'm going to be there," Leyritz recalled. "I'm just lost."

In jail, "I talked to my ex-fiancée... crying and just saying, 'I don't know what I'm going to do. This is not me. I don't know what to do. This is just horrible.' And knowing that somebody died in the accident..." Leyritz added, his words trailing off.

Leyritz's once-charmed life changed forever the night of Dec. 28, 2007.

After celebrating his 44th birthday with pals at a Fort Lauderdale bar, Leyritz hopped into his Ford Expedition SUV with a friend to bring him home.

Prosecutors say Leyritz was sloshed when he ran a red light and crashed into a Mitsubishi Montero, killing its driver, Fredia Ann Veitch, 30. Cops arrested the former Yankee slugger on DUI manslaughter charges after he was given three field sobriety tests. His blood-alcohol level was later determined to be 0.14, nearly twice the state's legal limit of 0.08. His trial is set for Jan. 12.

Leyritz said it was Veitch - who was found also to be drunk at the time of the crash - who caused the horrific accident. Records show she had also caused a drunken driving accident six months before.

"My light was never red when I entered the intersection," he said. "I was not at all responsible for the accident or her death."

"She went through the light. She hit me."

For weeks after the crash, Leyritz couldn't sleep, he said. Even after doctors prescribed sleeping pills, he was still haunted by images of the unconscious Veitch lying on the pavement.

"I'd never seen anybody up-close unconscious like that, that actually passed away," Leyritz said.

Leyritz then covered his face with his left hand - bearing his 1996 World Series Championship ring.

"Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face," Leyritz said.

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Ex-Yankee catcher Jim Leyritz sued for wrongful death in fatal DUI crash

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Former major leaguer Jim Leyritz is being sued in Broward County for wrongful death in connection with a fatal traffic accident in December.

The lawsuit asking for at least $15,000 in damages was filed Tuesday by the family of 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch. Leyritz has previously pleaded not guilty to DUI manslaughter charges stemming from the Dec. 28 accident.

Police say Leyritz was drunk when he ran a red light in his sport utility vehicle and caused the crash. Authorities say Veitch also had a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit.

The 44-year-old Leyritz played for six teams in 11 major league seasons, including a stint with the New York Yankees in which he hit a memorable 1996 World Series home run.

Leyritz attorney David Bogenschutz said the lawsuit closely tracks the criminal case.

"We believe that, when the evidence in both of these cases is heard by a jury, he will be both criminally and civilly exonerated from any responsibility in this accident,'' Bogenschutz said.

Trial in the criminal case is scheduled to begin May 12. If convicted, Leyritz faces up to 15 years in prison.

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Jim Leyritz pleads not guilty to 2nd manslaughter charge in fatal DUI crash

Plantation, FL

Former New York Yankees slugger Jim Leyritz pleaded not guilty Thursday in Broward Circuit Court to an additional charge of manslaughter while intoxicated in connection with a car crash last month.

Leyritz is accused of running a red light Dec. 28 and killing Fredia Veitch, a Plantation mother of two.

Police say Leyritz was celebrating his 44th birthday before the collision at Southwest Seventh Avenue and Second Street in Fort Lauderdale. He posted an $11,000 bond on the day of his arrest.

Leyritz, of Davie, was initially charged with DUI manslaughter by impairment. After toxicology results showed that Leyritz's blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit, prosecutors added a charge of DUI manslaughter by unlawful blood-alcohol content. More >>

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Jim Leyritz victim also was driving while intoxicated (DWI)

Plantation, FL

January 31, 2008 -- The 30-year-old mother of two tragically killed last month when boozing ex-Yankee Jim Leyritz crashed his SUV into her car had herself been driving drunk, The Post has learned.

The victim, Fredia Ann Veitch, had a .08 blood-alcohol level, which is the state's legal limit, sources close to the case said yesterday.

Anything .08 or higher is considered DUI, driving under the influence (DUI), according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles. More >>

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2nd DUI charge for Jim Leyritz

New York, NY

Fallen Yankee hero Jim Leyritz was hit with a second DUI charge Thursday for killing a young mom in a car wreck while he was allegedly bombed on booze.

Leyritz will be formally arraigned on Jan. 30 and faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted, authorities said.

The hard-hitting former catcher was initially charged with a single count of DUI-related manslaughter and one count of causing property damage for slamming his SUV into a vehicle driven by 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch after a night of celebrating his 44th birthday.

Prosecutors are expected to introduce into evidence a roadside videotape taken by a police dashboard camera. The video shows Leyritz failing sobriety tests after the Dec. 28 wreck left the mother of two dead, sources said.

A blood test taken three hours after the deadly crash showed that Leyritz still had nearly twice the legal amount of alcohol in his system, prosecutors said.

Leyritz has been released on $11,000 bond. He remained holed up yesterday in his Davie, Fla., home.

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Charged with DUI and manslaughter, Jim Leyritz lawyers up

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Former New York Yankees catcher Jim Leyritz stayed silent as he left a meeting with criminal defense attorney David Bogenschutz Thursday night.

Bogenschutz has represented some big names in high-profile cases including former Broward Sheriff Ken Jenne.

Bogenschutz said he was only retained a day before, and will be giving more insight into his plans to defend the DUI and manslaughter charges against Jim Leyritz. Police say Leyritz was drunk when he crashed into Fredia Veitch's SUV in Fort Lauderdale. The wife and mother of two from Plantation was killed.

Bogenshutz said, "The only thing I can say on behalf of Jim is his condolences have already been indicated in the press, at a time when I did not represent him, to the family. I don't think his sentiments have changed one iota." More >>

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Victim's family speaks out in Jim Leyritz DUI crashz

Fort Lauderdale, FL

A husband is speaking out after a former New York Yankees star is charged with manslaughter in a car crash that killed a mother of two.

Fredia Veitch's family said her Friday morning drive home from work would have been one of her last, since she planned on quitting her job to focus on being a mom.

But at 3 a.m., Veitch was traveling through an intersection on a green light when, police allege, former Yankee Jim Leyritz drove through a red light and hit her SUV.

Police charged Leyritz, a Davie resident, with manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol.

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Former Yankee Jim Leyritz arrested on suspicion of DWI in fatal crash

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Former Yankee Jim Leyritz was arrested Friday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and being involved in a crash that left one person dead, police said.

Fort Lauderdale police said Leyritz hit another car at an intersection early Friday morning. The passenger in the other car was ejected and died at the scene, police said.

Leyritz, 44, of Plantation, Fla., refused to take a breathalyzer test, police said.

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