Former Bachelor star and Dancing With the Stars champion Melissa Rycroft Strickland has been arrested for a second alleged drunk-driving offense after police say she crashed into an ambulance and fled the scene, just months after pleading guilty in a previous DWI case.
The 43-year-old reality television personality was taken into custody in Southlake, Texas, following a Halloween evening collision involving a Southlake Fire Department ambulance.
According to police, the ambulance was stopped at a stop sign near South Peytonville Avenue and Chimney Works Drive around 5:50 p.m. Saturday, October 31, when another vehicle allegedly struck it and drove away.
Officers responding to the hit-and-run located the suspected driver a short time later and identified her as Rycroft Strickland, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader who rose to fame on ABC’s The Bachelor.
Following an investigation, police arrested her on three charges: driving while intoxicated, second offense; driving with an invalid license; and leaving the scene of an accident involving more than $200 in vehicle damage.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Rycroft Strickland was booked into custody on November 1, with her combined bond set at $9,000. As of Monday morning, jail records indicated she remained in custody.
The latest arrest comes at an especially troubling time for the television star, who was already serving probation following a separate drunk-driving incident in September 2025.
In that case, police said witnesses reported seeing her black Cadillac Escalade driving erratically before it crashed into a tree in Southlake. Officers responded to the single-vehicle wreck and arrested Rycroft Strickland after conducting a field sobriety investigation.
No one was injured in that crash.
In August 2026, she pleaded guilty to the earlier DWI charge, avoiding a potential 280-day jail sentence in exchange for 20 months of probation.
Her punishment included $2,000 in fines and court costs, 36 hours of community service, a mandatory DWI education program and a substance abuse evaluation.
She was also ordered to use an ignition interlock device equipped with a camera, undergo alcohol and drug testing, and refrain from drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while on probation.
The new arrest raises questions about whether Rycroft Strickland could face additional consequences in her earlier case. A new criminal charge does not automatically revoke probation, but prosecutors could seek a hearing if they believe its conditions were violated. No such action had been publicly confirmed as of Monday.
Following her first arrest last year, Rycroft Strickland acknowledged struggling through a difficult period in her personal life.
“Life really sucks right now and I’m struggling, but I’m trying to march forward,” she wrote in response to a supportive social media message.
Rycroft Strickland first captured national attention in 2009 when she appeared on Jason Mesnick’s season of The Bachelor. Their engagement ended in an unforgettable televised breakup when Mesnick revealed he wanted to pursue a relationship with runner-up Molly Malaney.
She later competed on Dancing With the Stars, finishing third during her first appearance before returning in 2012 and winning the show’s All-Stars season alongside professional dancer Tony Dovolani.
The television personality married Tye Strickland in 2009, and the couple share three children.
Her attorney declined to comment on the latest arrest, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The Halloween collision remains under investigation. Although Rycroft Strickland previously pleaded guilty in the 2025 case, the charges stemming from her latest arrest remain allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.