Bruce Springsteen Faces November DWI Charge On Sandy Hook

UPDATE: New details have emerged in Springsteen's arrest. To view Patch's latest coverage, click here.

MONMOUTH COUNTY - He might’ve been “Born To Run,” but authorities and reports say New Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen is fully cooperating with law enforcement following a November 2020 arrest at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook.

The “Dancing in the Dark” hitmaker was arrested and charged with DWI, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area, according to the National Park Service.

The arrest happened on Nov. 14, 2020, the NPS said in a statement.

A source told The Asbury Park Press that Springsteen's blood alcohol count was 0.02, which is one quarter the legal limit in New Jersey. Sandy Hook is federal property and alcohol was banned on its beaches two years ago.

Springsteen was cooperative throughout the process, according to The Asbury Park Press. The publication reports that Springsteen will have his court appearance via federal court in Newark as the recreation area is federal land.

According to CNBC, Springsteen’s 2016 autobiography “Born to Run" mentions that the rocker had avoided drugs and didn’t try alcohol until he was 22, in part due to witnessing his father's drinking habit. In the book, Springsteen also revealed a history of depression.

October 2020 marked The Boss' twentieth studio album release, titled "Letter To You." The record debuted on the top of the Billboard 200 charts, prompting the singer to become the first musician with a Top 5 album in six different decades. Billboard also ranked "Letter To You" at No. 34 on its Top 50 Albums of 2020 list.

The 71-year-old Colts Neck resident recently made headlines for a very different reason this weekend when he was featured in his first-ever Super Bowl Sunday advertisement.

In the two-minute commercial for Jeep dubbed “The Middle,” Springsteen pleaded for unity amid a politically polarized nation. He also performed at President Biden's inauguration ceremony concert in January. Read more: Bruce Springsteen Appears In 2021 Super Bowl Ad, Pleads For Unity

"Fear has never been the best of who we are," Springsteen narrates in the advertisement. "And as for freedom, it's not the property of just the fortunate few. It belongs to us all ... We need the middle. We just have to remember the very soil we stand on is common ground. So we can get there. We can make it to the mountaintop, through the desert, and we will cross this divide."

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.

Prior to the arrest, Springsteen, who was born in Freehold and made his name in Asbury Park before becoming a worldwide phenomenon, had a largely wholesome, squeaky-clean image. Politicians from former President Barack Obama to former Secretary of State John Kerry embraced him on the campaign trail.

Springsteen has also helped raise millions of dollars for various charities and was seen as a catalyst in Asbury Park's comeback.

He had drawn the ire of conservative media because of his embrace of liberal politics and his connections to Democratic politicians.

Former Republican Gov. Chris Christie has often boasted about his own fanaticism for the Boss, saying he's attended many of his shows despite not agreeing with his politics.