Diana Ross Faces 'Extreme' DUI Charge

By Stephen M. Silverman

Tuesday December 31, 2002 01:00 PM EST

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To paraphrase a Diana Ross song from the '70s, does she know where she's going to?

The singer-actress and former frontwoman of the Supremes, 58, was busted in southern Arizona Monday for investigation of drunk driving, police tell Reuters.

Police spokeswoman Sgt. Judy Altieri says Ross, after taking a breathalyzer test, was shown to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.20 -- more than twice the legal limit -- when the vehicle she was driving was stopped at 12:30 a.m. in Tucson.

The star faces three misdemeanors, including driving under the influence, driving with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08 and driving with a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.15, known as extreme DUI, Reuters reports. Ross is due in court Jan. 13.

Police say they stopped Ross after it was reported that her car had been swerving. She was described as cooperative throughout the incident, and was released and escorted to where she was staying at the time, authorities say.

Paul Bloch, a Los Angeles-based publicist for Ross, had no comment.

In May of this year, Ross checked into the Promises drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Malibu, prior to the start of her planned summer tour. At the time, Bloch told reporters that she entered the center "to clear up some personal issues."