May 05, 2014 (Trondheim, Norway) – Norwegian Nordic xc ski star, Petter Northug, was driving drunk on Sunday morning when he was involved in a single vehicle car accident reports www.nrk.no. Photos of the vehicle show substantial damage after it hit a guardrail; Northug and a male passenger escaped without serious injury. Apparently Northug caused the accident by driving straight through a traffic circle.

Petter Northug (NOR) © Nordic Focus

It is also reported that Northug left the scene of the accident and there are conflicting reports as to whether the unidentified passenger was injured or not. There is speculation that the 28-year-old could end up in jail as a result of this incident.

“I have deepest regret for what has happened. I am very unhappy now and very disappointed with what I’ve done. I am grateful that my poor judgment did not have an even bigger impact,” said Northug in a press release. “I have openly told police about what happened, and am prepared to take the punishment for my actions.”

“I know that I am a role model for many young people, recognizing fully that I have not behaved as a role model should. I want to apologize to everyone, and to all those who are now disappointed me. I want to learn from the situation in such a way that I grow as a person. I know this might become my life’s toughest race, but I’m willing to bet for success.”

Northug has skied professionally since 2005, winning 18 medals at various World Cup events (11 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze), putting him into a class of his own. He also won four medals (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.

Norway has some of the most severe penalties for drunk driving in the world; but the actual penalties depend on the blood alcohol level registered at the time of the arrest according to Wikipedia. While SkiTrax has not been able to determine Northug’s level, a blood alcohol reading of 0.1% normally results in a fine of at least 10,000 NOK ($1,840 CAD), suspended or mandatory sentence (which could mean 3 weeks in prison) and a suspended license.

NRK.no here.
TV2.no here.