Shoemaker Won’t Face DUI Charge

Bill Shoemaker, who rode more winners than any other jockey in horse racing history, will not be charged with driving under the influence in an accident that left him paralyzed, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said Monday.

Shoemaker, who suffered a severe spinal-cord injury in the accident April 8 on the Foothill Freeway in San Dimas, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.13%, California Highway Patrol authorities reported. The legal limit in California is 0.08%.

Richard Jenkins, acting head of the L.A. County District Attorney’s office in Pomona, said the severity of the injuries and the fact that no one else was involved in the accident “supports the decision to decline to prosecute in the interest of justice.”

L.A. county prosecutors often do not file charges in such circumstances, Jenkins said.

Shoemaker, who rode 8,883 winners in more than 40 years as a jockey, is being treated at the Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Englewood, Colo., a facility specializing in spinal cord and head injuries.

Shoemaker’s car veered off the freeway and rolled down an embankment. He suffered a broken neck and is paralyzed from the upper chest down. He needs a respirator to aid his breathing and cannot speak.

Shoemaker, 59, retired from riding last year and began a new career as a trainer.