Consuming alcohol and getting behind the wheel of a car just isn’t a smart idea. Earlier this week Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star Avery Brooks found that out, and now a reality star is learning that as well.
Shawn Pomrenke, who appears on Discovery Channel’s Bering Sea Gold, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after backing his car into a pedestrian and fleeing the scene.
TMZ says the drama went down Dec. 9 in Nome, Alaska, when Pomrenke hopped into his car and reversed into a grocery-carrying citizen; he drove off after “smiling and giving a thumbs-up.”
Authorities caught up with Pomrenke, who admitted to consuming alcohol and lacking car insurance. He blew .125 on a breathalyser, which is nearly twice the legal limit in Alaska.
He was arrested on the spot and charged with DUI, failing to return to the scene of an accident, driving without insurance and third-degree assault.
Pomrenke is just one of a handful of gold-diggers spotlighted in Bering Sea Gold. The documentary series explores the lives of fortune hunters who spend their summers at the bottom of the Bering Sea searching for gold.
Pomrenke, 36, is the co-owner of The Christine Rose, an 80-foot river barge that scoops gold-laden silt from the bottom of the sea. He serves as captain and chief engineer alongside his father, Steve, and deckhands Robbi Wade and Cody Moen.
Bering Sea Gold will be broadcast on Discovery Channel in Canada later this winter; the network had no comment regarding Pomrenke's situation.
In related Bering Sea news, Deadliest Catch captains Andy and Jonathan Hillstrand of the Wizard will compete on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? later this month.
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