Bauhuas singer Peter Murphy arrested after DUI hit-and-run

• Tweet

Peter Murphy, lead singer of the British goth band Bauhaus, was arrested Saturday after he allegedly rear-ended a vehicle in Glendale, injured the driver and then fled to Los Angeles, according to a report from the Glendale News Press.

The eyewitness followed Murphy because “he was afraid [Murphy] would kill someone with his driving,” according to Glendale police.

Murphy, who was in a Subaru Forester, reportedly struck a Mercedes and then drove around it to take the freeway to Los Angeles. A nearby window washer snapped a photo of Murphy's car and the driver of the Mercedes wrote down his license plate number.

Another witness in a pickup truck then followed Murphy to LA, finally blocking his car until police arrived. Los Angeles police detained Murphy until Glendale police responded to the scene.

Murphy, 55, is from England and currently lives in Turkey. He admitted to the collision, but told officers he was merely jet-lagged. Inside the patrol car where Murphy was detained, officers reported finding a small plastic bag, possibly of methamphetamine. Murphy denied the bag belonged to him, but officers said they believed he was trying to discard it in the patrol car.

Murphy was arrested on suspicion of causing injuries while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, felony hit-and-run and possessing methamphetamine, police said.