Charges: Ex-Viking Chris Hovan drove drunk with child in the vehicle
Former Vikings first-round pick Chris Hovan has been charged with DUI and felony child neglect after he was found allegedly driving drunk with his child in the vehicle Monday night.
According to court documents, Hovan was stopped by law enforcement around 7:40 p.m. Monday in Oldsmar, Florida – a suburb of Tampa Bay that is located about 20 miles southwest west of Hovan's home in the suburb of Lutz.
Deputies found Hovan showing "signs of impairment," and a breath test revealed his blood-alcohol content to be between 0.309 and 0.315, which is more than three times the legal limit in Florida, charges say.
The child, who was not injured, was in the passenger seat of Hovan's vehicle.
Hovan, who was selected by the Vikings with the 25th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, was released from Pinellas County jail Tuesday. He played five seasons for the Vikings and five more for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, finishing his career in 2009 with 412 tackles and 22 sacks.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Hovan has one prior DUI conviction (2015) and was ordered to stay away from his family in 2018 following domestic violence allegations.
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