Steve Wilkos was arrested on February 21, 2018 on drunk driving charges stemming from a single-vehicle rollover crash a month earlier in Darien, Connecticut. The daytime talk show host initially told reporters he had been reaching for his glasses when he lost control, but a hospital blood draw put his blood alcohol content at 0.29 percent, more than three times Connecticut’s 0.08 legal limit.1NBC Connecticut. Talk Show Host Steve Wilkos Charged With Driving Under Influence in Darien He later admitted he had been drinking, apologized, and was placed in a court-supervised program that would wipe the charges from his record on completion.
The Crash and the First Story
On the afternoon of January 21, 2018, Wilkos’s SUV struck a curb on West Avenue near Turnabout Lane, hit utility poles and a tree, and rolled over. A patrolling officer found the wreck around 4:20 p.m. Wilkos was alone in the car, no other vehicles were involved, and his injuries were serious enough that he was taken to Stamford Hospital.2Darienite.com. TV Show Host Steve Wilkos Charged DUI Darien Crash3AJC. Steve Wilkos Admits Lying About Car Crash, Arrested DUI Charge
Shortly afterward, Wilkos told TMZ he had not been wearing his glasses and reached for them while driving. He also said he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.2Darienite.com. TV Show Host Steve Wilkos Charged DUI Darien Crash
How Police Built the DUI Case
Because Wilkos was hospitalized, officers could not run a field sobriety test at the scene. The first officer there did report smelling alcohol on him.4Stamford Advocate. Wilkos Applies for Diversionary Program for Drunk Driving Charge Investigators obtained a search warrant for his medical records and blood samples from Stamford Hospital, and the lab results showed a BAC of 0.29 percent.1NBC Connecticut. Talk Show Host Steve Wilkos Charged With Driving Under Influence in Darien
Judge John Blawie of Stamford Superior Court granted the Darien Police Department’s arrest warrant application.5CT Insider. TV Host Steve Wilkos Charged With Drunk Driving On the evening of February 21, Wilkos turned himself in at Darien Police headquarters. He was charged with operating under the influence and failure to drive right, posted a $1,500 bond, and was released the same evening.1NBC Connecticut. Talk Show Host Steve Wilkos Charged With Driving Under Influence in Darien
Wilkos Admitted He Lied
Once the charges became public, Wilkos abandoned the glasses story. In a written statement he said, “On the day of my accident, I had a complete lapse in judgment which resulted in me drinking and getting behind the wheel of my car.”6Fox News. Steve Wilkos Charged With DUI for January Car Crash, Confesses to Rehab Stint He said he had been “struggling with bouts of depression” and had recently finished “an intensive medically supervised program” for his issues with alcohol.7E! Online. Steve Wilkos Says He’s Lucky to Be Alive After Serious Car Crash
He apologized to his family and said he was “lucky and so grateful that no one else was involved in the accident.”7E! Online. Steve Wilkos Says He’s Lucky to Be Alive After Serious Car Crash
How the Case Ended
Wilkos first appeared in Stamford Superior Court on March 6, 2018, represented by attorney Eugene Riccio. Instead of entering a plea, he applied for Connecticut’s Alcohol Education Program, a pretrial diversionary program for first-time DUI offenders run by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.4Stamford Advocate. Wilkos Applies for Diversionary Program for Drunk Driving Charge It is a separate track from Connecticut’s accelerated rehabilitation program, which does not accept DUI offenses.8Connecticut General Assembly. Accelerated Rehabilitation Program Report
On April 23, 2018, Judge Gary White granted him entry. The terms required a 15-week educational or treatment program and participation on a panel with victims of drunk driving. If he completed the requirements and stayed out of trouble, the charges would be dismissed and erased from his record, with a follow-up court appearance set roughly a year later to confirm completion.9NBC Connecticut. TV Show Host Wilkos Could Have Drunken Driving Charge Erased10Stamford Advocate. Wilkos Gets Educational Program After Flipping SUV
Reporting from the follow-up date is not in the public record, so there is no news story formally confirming dismissal. The program’s structure and the absence of any later arrests reported in the years since are consistent with the case having been resolved on that track.
Did the Arrest End His Show?
No. The Steve Wilkos Show continued after the 2018 arrest, and NBCUniversal Syndication Studios renewed it for a 19th season in May 2025.11Deadline. The Steve Wilkos Show Renewed Season 19 Syndication In March 2026, NBCUniversal announced it was ending its first-run syndication slate, including Wilkos’s show, citing marketplace conditions that “no longer support the traditional model of syndication.” Original episodes are set to continue airing through the summer of 2026.12Variety. Access Hollywood, Steve Wilkos, Karamo Canceled by NBCUniversal