He moved to San Francisco from Austin, TX where he worked as a vinyl DJ and freelance writer covering food and music. A Human Wrote This Book Review. Somerville was then booked into jail early Friday morning for allegedly driving under the influence and released shortly after. Frank Somerville divorce from television producer Donna Wright Somerville after over 20 years of marriage has been a topic of These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. New Off Camera series:This is the first in a recurring Off Camera series we call Day in the Life. KTVU's Frank Somerville faces 2 DUI charges after car crash Somerville was arrested on suspicion of DUI, sources said. Check back for updates. Frank Somerville had a rough 2021and hes finally ready to talk about it on camera. Now, it's revered. He also was off the air for much of last summer following a now-infamous May 30, 2021 newscast, when he repeatedly slurred and stumbled over his words and appeared to have trouble reading off the teleprompter. The anchor went on to acknowledge long-standing issues with substance abuse, saying hed used drugs and alcohol almost every night at the height of his addiction. Since 2008, he has been anchoring KTVUs 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts as well as its flagship 10 p.m. show. Frank Somerville Gives Full Interview to KRON4, Says He'd Like I was taking what I thought was one of my prescription drugs; instead, it was two Ambien, he said. Then, a month later, came the crash. Somerville was hospitalized shortly after the incident and was booked at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. 1 anchorman, a lot of people would beg to differ with him that his life is anything but ordinary. The crash happened at the intersection of Broadway and Grand Avenue in Oakland. By this time, hes finished proofing scripts and has some time to answer Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. The station wanted us to be on Facebook, so I am always looking for ideas to write about, he says. The anchor went on to acknowledge long-standing issues with substance abuse, saying hed used drugs and alcohol almost every night at the height of his addiction. Somerville is showing off that Porsche in a Facebook post from 2017. Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, 'Horrible': Oakland rapper dumps on Chase Center Warriors fans, More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7, Sold-out Berkeley crowd gets rowdy at country star's concert, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis. Somerville has had a tumultuous year. Whats for breakfast? Callie, their 10-year-old daughter, is up and getting ready to leave for school by the time her Dad wakes up. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Somervilles attorney Shannan Dugan acknowledged the charges. KTVU (19912021) Frank Somerville (born March 19, 1958) is an American television journalist. And Facebook, too, where he has more than 24,000 followers. The Alameda County District Attorneys Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. Opinion: How could the As ungrateful owner do this to us? By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Now a high school baseball coach. According to a police statement in charging documents obtained Thursday, officers responded to Broadway and West Grand Avenue at about 8:20 p.m. Dec. 30, 2021 for a vehicle collision. KRON4 obtained a video that appears to be related to the incident that shows a Porsche crashing into another vehicle. Tire Meets Road is a car blog focusing on car news and useful information you won't find anywhere else. My morning consists of being aware of whats going on. I made a huge mistake., At the same time, he added after a pause, Im a damn good anchor.. After the collision, the driver of the car that had been hit exited the vehicle, police said. 8 p.m. For breakfast? (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.). I was a total mess.. Thats what Steven Seagal does. The anchor said that hed spent much of the evening drinking himself into a near-stupor. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I wouldnt trade it for anything. What? He says hes never involved in meetings. The man knows his stuff. Local | This mysterious Bay Area beach is covered in broken ceramicsFood | Is San Francisco tiki bar the Tonga Room actually good?Culture| This SF restaurant was the blueprint for Bobs Burgers'Music| Nirvana's Cow Palace show was once panned. Then in September, Somerville was suspended for wanting to add a tag to a Gabby Petito story highlighting the disparity between missing white people and people of color. The veteran Bay Area newsman, whose awful year culminated in drunkenly slamming his Porsche into another vehicle on Dec. 30, sat down with San Francisco outlet KRON4 to speak for nearly 30 minutes about the months leading up to the crash. It all came to a head when I got the DUI, he said. OAKLAND One-time KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of driving under the influence following a crash in downtown Oakland, authorities said. Driver one, suspected to be Somerville, in the Porsche rear-ended driver two and proceeded to push into driver twos car, which crashed into a pole on the corner of the intersection. Then, with less than 10 minutes to air time, Somerville leaves his desk and heads into the studio. Longtime KTVU news anchor Frank Somerville was arrested in Oakland on suspicion of driving under the influence. He is on Twitter. He returned in August, but a month after, was suspended permanently following turmoil over the coverage of Gabby Petito, the missing van-lifer who was killed by her fiance Brian Laundrie in September. I was a total mess.. Frank Somerville alleged DUI witness videos. OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) KRON4 sources have confirmed that Bay Area TV news anchor Frank Somerville was involved in a crash late Thursday night in downtown Oakland. Somerville was suspended the next day. March 29, 2023 in News Frank Somerville had a rough 2021and hes finally ready to talk about it on camera. The investigation in ongoing, police said. It was not known immediately when that court appearance will be. KRON4 has reached out to KTVU for a statement but has yet to receive a response. All rights reserved. After rear-ending another vehicle and plowing through a busy intersection, pushing the other car into a pole, the dazed anchor was booked on DUI charges, with court charging documents showing that his blood alcohol concentration was 0.24 percent. I made a huge mistake., At the same time, he added after a pause, Im a damn good anchor.. By this time, Somerville is showered, dressed for work again and back at his desk. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I am very particular about what I post. Then, a month later, came the crash. Frank Somerville For Somerville, heres his formula to get the day going. The veteran Bay Area newsman, whose awful year culminated in drunkenly Wrote the Book. Person robbed at bus stop near UC Berkeley campus "But what I really want people to take out of this, I hope, is that they can see that I'm just like them. Driver allegedly hit by Frank Somerville says TV anchor floored It all came to a head when I got the DUI, he said. He had previously posted about the events on social media and spoken with the San Francisco Chronicle, but had not yet given a television interview. ContactGeorge Kelly at 408-859-5180. The man is popular. News anchor Frank Somerville says he was 'trashed' People get to see me for who I am and what Im all about. Somerville has absolutely no recollection of the accident, he told KRON4. So, I did that for three years. Its one of our times together during the course of the day, Somerville says. Motorcyclist in Redwood City dies after car crash, Tornado flips cars, damages homes in coastal Florida city, Texas mass shooting suspect could be anywhere, sheriff says, Major crash closes stretch of Blacow Road in Fremont, They said it: Nowhere for the water to go, Total dominance: Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings. Hes burning rubber.. Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, On an island of resorts, this Hawaii hotel is the budget option. After more than two months of what a spokesperson for his parent network called medical leave, a period which Somerville said he spent in a rehabilitation facility, he was back on the air. They shouldn't bother. Bay Area news anchor Frank Somerville was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after he was involved in a crash Thursday night in downtown Oakland, according to police sources. Frank Somerville I had absolutely no business at all to driveat all, he told KRON4, adding later that he wishes he could apologize to the other driver, who was slightly injured in the crash. News Anchor Frank Somerville Says He Was Trashed on DUI Taco Bell Run, This Is Make or Break Time for Desperate Vladimir Putin, Head of Mexican migration authority charged over deadly Juarez fire, Millions snap up new Germany-wide public transit ticket, King Charles settles into life as monarch, after long wait, Chinas peace envoy to Ukraine has close ties to Russia. The crash occurred just after 7:45 p.m., near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Broadway, police said. As for his future, Somerville said, he may try teaching, or go back to television news, though he acknowledged that a return may not be totally up to him. Chapter Vice President, San Francisco, KTVUs ever-popularFrank Somerville, who anchors the stations 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts, will be the first to tell you that he leads a rather ordinary life. Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, On an island of resorts, this Hawaii hotel is the budget option, two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol. Its so easy to sit at home, do nothing, and not do any exercise. It was Christmastime, he said. It could be a news producer, a photographer, a news director, or a reporter. 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Hes gazing straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel. On this particular day, Somerville went from the gym to working out again, this time across town, at a krav maga studio. Somerville takes these charges very seriously. On Tuesday, the district attorneys office charged Somerville with driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08, with an added clause for having a level over .15. Courtesy KTVU. But, beyond being the Oakland stations No. By Kevin Wing Somerville is a well-known face in the Bay Area, having begun broadcasting on his longtime station KTVU in 1992, ascending to become a co-anchor by 2008. https://tiremeetsroad.com/2022/01/01/frank-somerville-alleged-dui-witness-videos There was no reason for it other than she was a cute white kid. Somerville, who has a Black daughter, wanted to add a 46-second tag to an update on the Petito story that recognized the racially disproportionate media coverage of Black and white crime victims. The veteran Bay Area newsman, whose awful year culminated in drunkenly slamming his Porsche into another vehicle on Dec. 30, sat down with San Francisco outlet KRON4 to speak for nearly 30 minutes about the months leading up to the crash. But for some reason, I was suspended over that. He says it also helps him to come up with ideas for social media. Then, hungry for Taco Bell, he climbed into his Porsche. Thats what we see in the second video. Veteran Bay Area television news anchor Frank Somerville said he was trashed when he crashed his Porsche into another driver in 2021, but denied he was drunk on another occasion when he slurred his words on air. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. 5 p.m. The crash happened around 7:45 p.m. near the intersection of West Grand Avenue and Broadway, according to Oakland police. In a Facebook post reflecting on the situation more than a year later, Somerville claimed for the first time that as messed up as I was I didnt drink on the air. Instead, he said, hed accidentally taken two powerful sleeping pills. Officers who spoke with Somerville said he exhibited symptoms of being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage: bloodshot/watery eyes, thick/slurred speech, and odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person.. Bay Area news anchor Frank Somerville has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a crash in downtown Oakland. From 3 to his first newscast at 5 p.m., hes going over scripts. But in September, he was suspended indefinitely after disagreeing with the station bosses about how to cover the Gabby Petito murder, which was then a missing-person case. So, I trained in aikido. Last fall, he told this news organization that he anticipated his days anchoring at KTVU were over after he was suspended in September for an off-air dispute about the coverage of the Gabby Petito case. Subscribe now. Longtime KTVU anchor Frank Somerville is facing two DUI charges following a car accident on Dec. 30, 2021. Motorcyclist in Redwood City dies after car crash, Tornado flips cars, damages homes in coastal Florida city, Texas mass shooting suspect could be anywhere, sheriff says, Major crash closes stretch of Blacow Road in Fremont, They said it: Nowhere for the water to go, Total dominance: Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings. Sign up for Yahoo Lifes daily newsletter, Katherine Heigl opens up about body image, Menopausal symptoms from hot flashes to insomnia are negatively impacting women's careers and the economy, says new study. Frank Somerville Please realize that what I did by not asking for help made it even worse.'". Its a work in progress, he added. NBA playoffs: When will the Warriors-Lakers series start? Bay Area TV anchor Frank Somerville arrested on suspicion of DUI In krav, they tell you to go to a very dark place from within, and that you would say to someone, you are not going to hurt me. Thank goodness his irresponsible actions didn't kill anyone. I still, to this day, am not sure why.. Then, hungry for Taco Bell, he climbed into his Porsche. There is no time for chit chat. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'tiremeetsroad_com-box-4','ezslot_9',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tiremeetsroad_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'tiremeetsroad_com-box-4','ezslot_10',109,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tiremeetsroad_com-box-4-0_1');.box-4-multi-109{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Frank Somerville The property includes a 20,000-square-foot art gallery and an 11,000-square-foot, 16-room home original to the estate. He has been this way for these 23 years that Ive known him as a good friend and colleague. Frank Somerville In September, he told this news organization that he anticipated his days anchoring at KTVU were over after he was suspended in September for an off-air dispute about the coverage of the Gabby Petito case. I love feeling the acceleration. That would be disingenuous.| Veteran anchor back on air after abrupt departure and 9-week absence. Mike Mibach officially replaces Frank Somerville at KTVU According to The Chronicle, the driver of the Audi S4 was stopped at a red light when he was rammed from behind by Somervilles Porsche. After the collision, the Audis driver managed to get out of their car, according to the statement, but Somerville kept driving east on West Grand, pushing the Audi across the intersectionuntil it hit a pole on the southwest corner. Theres no other way to say it, I got trashed in my apartment.. Somerville, driving a 2014 Porsche 911, rear-ended a silver Audi. In a KRON interview with Pam Moore that aired last night, Somerville spoke for nearly 30 minutes about his career and substance abuse. In a May broadcast of KTVUs 10 p.m. news program, Somerville was recorded slurring his words and abruptly left midbroadcast with no explanation. Somerville said that he was drinking almost every night, citing sadness and loneliness over his divorce. 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Now, he opens up to KRON4 in his first TV interview since the arrest. 1:30 p.m. Somerville was driving a 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S, a twin-turbocharged Porsche with 552 HP capable of a 0-60 MPH under three seconds and a top speed of 198 MPH. Two of the most widely circulated witness videos are provided below. In the first video from KRON4, we can see Somervilles Porsche 911 pushing an Audi S4 towards the intersections corner. In a Facebook post reflecting on the situation more than a year later, Somerville claimed for the first time that as messed up as I was I didnt drink on the air. Instead, he said, hed accidentally taken two powerful sleeping pills. Then he starts accelerating. Veteran Bay Area TV News Anchor Frank Somerville said he was devastated when he crashed his Porsche into another driver in 2021, but when he denigrated his words on air, he said another I denied that I was drunk on occasion. Concord: Man killed in 4:30 a.m. solo crash on I-680, Berkeley to spend quarter-million for first 24-hour public bathroom, Tucker Carlson: How early rejection by hippie San Francisco mom made him shameless, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Later in June, Somerville was pulled off the air for slurring his words. I am authentic, and people see that in me, he adds. Hes ready to go home, but first, hell take a few minutes to finish answering a few emails. I was away from my family. OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) KRON4 sources have confirmed that Bay Area TV news anchor Frank Somerville was involved in a crash late Thursday night in