NBC Washington anchor Leon Harris was taken into custody following a two-car crash in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Saturday and charged with driving under the influence.

Police said he was driving along River Road when his car struck another vehicle. No one was seriously injured in the accident. 

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According to the police report, when cops arrived at the scene, Harris tried to escape but was stopped by police. He failed a field sobriety test. Cops conducted a breathalyzer test on the spot and Harris’ result was twice the legal limit of .08% BAC. He was then taken into custody. 

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NBC said the anchor won’t be appearing on air during the investigation.

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Who is Leon Harris?

An Akron, Ohio native, Leon Harris was born on April 20, 1961. He graduated from Ohio University in 1983. He worked at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta as an unpaid intern. He then joined as an entry-level video journalist after graduating from college. 

In 1991, he auditioned for a position as a full-time anchor. He then worked at ABC affiliate, WJLA-TV.

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Leon Harris joined WJLA-TV in 2003, anchoring the station’s 5pm and 11 pm shows. 

He went on to win the local Emmy for Best Anchor in 2006.

He has been working as a broadcaster for NBC since April 2017, where he co-anchors alongside Pat Lawson-Muse.

Leon Harris is married to his childhood sweetheart Dawn Lomax. They tied the knot in 1986 and have two children. The family resides in Ohio.