Joe Chen arrested for drink-driving

Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill with droids BB-8 R2-D2 at the Chinese premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Joe Chen in a Weibo post. She was arrested after she drove through a red light.
Joe Chen in a Weibo post. She was arrested after she drove through a red light. PHOTO: JOE CHEN/WEIBO

TAIPEI • Television star Joe Chen was arrested yesterday for drink-driving in Taipei, the police said.

According to a police video, the 38-year-old was driving alone along the fourth section of Zhongxiao East Road in a white Mini Cooper at 1.58am when she turned against a red light into Fuxing Road, Apple Daily said.

A police officer stopped her and detected the smell of alcohol on her. After she took an alcohol test and was found to have an alcohol level of 0.67mg, she was taken to a police station, the report said.

She told the police she had drunk a bottle of beer in the Zhongzheng district that night, but had not expected to exceed the legal alcohol limit.

Chen, wearing a mask, was later transferred to Taipei District Public Prosecutors Office, and released after a lawyer put up bail of NT$100,000 (S$4,490) for her, the report said.

In a statement on Weibo after her release, she wrote: "I am sorry to have worried everyone. I was taking a bath at home last night when I drank, then I drove somewhere near my house to buy supper."

She said of her arrest: "I must learn a lesson from this incident and absolutely never violate traffic rules again. This is irresponsible to myself, and irresponsible to others. I am very sorry about the bad example I have set."

In the morning, the lawyer had accidentally dropped the bail money when he arrived at the prosecutors' office, Apple Daily said, and he had to squat down and pick up the scattered banknotes, as reporters around him warned: "Don't let the money fly away!"

On her way out, Chen was surrounded by reporters. Asked why she had been drink-driving, she said "I'm sorry" and left in a black car.

She is a star of popular Taiwanese idol dramas including Lavender, The Prince Who Turns Into A Frog and You're My Destiny. In recent years, she broke into the Chinese market, with shows such as Cruel Romance.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 05, 2018, with the headline Joe Chen arrested for drink-driving. Subscribe