Former NBA star Jayson Williams was partying at an Upper East Side bar before he made like Tiger Woods and crashed his luxury SUV into a tree.
He was charged Tuesday with DUI. The extent of Williams’ injuries range from only minor injuries to a fractured neck, depending on the report.
Photos show him mugging with strangers at Aces & Eights Saloon, and a patron at the bar said his friend bought Williams at least three shots:
“He seemed like he was having a good time. Not any different from anyone else. I mean, he wasn’t sloppy drunk or falling all over the place.”
Jayson Williams was said to be good-natured when asked to pose for photos before leaving the bar just before 2 a.m. and walking uptown.
After leaving Aces & Eights, Williams headed to Bar East a few blocks away, the Aces owner said. The bartender at Bar East didn’t comment.
It’s unclear where Williams went after that, but at 3:15 a.m., he exited on FDR Drive, jumped a curb and smashed his Mercedes-Benz SUV.
The troubled athlete hit a 40-foot tree near E. 20th Street and Avenue C.
Williams insists he was not the driver, however, there’s both video and witnesses to prove he was, according to law enforcement sources.
In addition to video, there are witnesses who place Williams behind the wheel, despite him being in the passenger seat when police arrived.
Law enforcement sources are confident Williams was the only one in the SUV and no one was seen fleeing the scene. Not good, Jayson.