It’s been a rough week for Dolphins coach Joe Philbin.
In addition to the news that Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey has had and free-agent arrival Knowshon Moreno needs surgery, word has emerged that Philbin’s son, Matthew, is accused of causing an automobile accident that resulted in injury and leaving the scene of the incident.
According to Ayana Stewart of the Miami Herald, a police report accuses the 26-year-old Matthew Philbin of driving the wrong way on a one-way street and colliding with a 22-year-old female. She suffered arm, head, and neck injuries.
A witness allegedly asked to use Matthew Philbin’s phone to call for help. He declined, telling both the witness and victim to not call the police. Matthew Philbin, a U.S. Army first lieutenant stationed at Fort Hood, then allegedly hailed a cab and fled the scene.
But he left behind his his wallet, his military ID card, and his phone. On the phone were text messages from a friend who expressed concern that Matthew Philbin was driving drunk.
And it gets better. Or depending on the perspective worse.
Matthew Philbin’s attorney allegedly called the police and asked them to postpone the investigation because Matthew Philbin was due to be promoted to captain. The crash victim’s father learned of the request -- and personally called Fort Hood to tell them about the charges.
It’s a bizarre situation with a litany of bad decisions from Matthew Philbin, if the allegation are true. From driving drunk to leaving the scene of an accident to trying to finagle a delay in the prosecution, it’s a very bad look for the adult son of a man whose job duties include finding a way to persuade team consisting of men roughly the same age to make far better decisions on a regular basis.
