Vanderbilt assistant football coach Vavae Tata charged with DUI

Update: Vandy assistant Vavae Tata has been suspended indefinitely by school after reported arrest and DUI charge.

The Tennessean is reporting that Vanderbilt new defensive line coach Vavae Tata was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage on Sunday.

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According to the report, Tata, 37, struck two parked vehicles on West End Avenue and fled the scene on foot in an attempt to avoid police. He was located several blocks away and admitted to operating the crashed vehicle. He smelled of alcohol, was unsteady on his feet and had bloodshot and watery eyes.

Tata admitted to consuming a couple of beers at a downtown bar and, during a field sobriety test, had a hard time keeping his balance. “The one leg stand had to be stopped because the suspect could not keep his balance and the risk of him falling over and injuring himself was high,” the report stated.

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The report states that Tata blew a .18 percent on a breathalyzer test, more than twice legal blood-alcohol limit of .08 percent in Tennessee.

Tata worked with newly hired head coach Derek Mason at Stanford as a Cardinal’s defensive assistant coach before coming to Vanderbilt.