Southlake Woman and Reality TV Star Arrested for DWI After Hit-and-Run Crash Involving Ambulance

SOUTHLAKE, Texas — Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and reality television personality Melissa Katherine Rycroft-Strickland, 43, was arrested Saturday evening, October 31, 2026, after police say she struck a Southlake Fire Department ambulance and fled the scene.

Rycroft-Strickland, who appeared on The Bachelor and Season 8 of Dancing with the Stars, faces multiple charges, including driving while intoxicated, second offense.

According to the Southlake Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of South Peytonville Avenue and Chimney Works Drive at approximately 5:50 p.m. after receiving reports of a hit-and-run collision involving an ambulance.

Police said the Southlake Fire Department ambulance was stopped at a stop sign when another vehicle struck it and left the scene.

No injuries were reported.

Police Locate Rycroft-Strickland After Crash

A short time after the collision, Southlake police located the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash and identified her as Rycroft-Strickland, a Southlake resident.

Following an investigation, officers arrested her on three charges:

• Driving while intoxicated, second offense: $7,500 bond

• Accident involving damage exceeding $200: $1,000 bond

• Driving while license invalid: $500 bond

The combined bond amounts totaled $9,000.

Rycroft-Strickland was transported to the Keller Regional Detention Facility for processing.

Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Appeared on The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars

Rycroft-Strickland is an American television personality, host and dancer who gained national recognition through her appearances on reality television.

She was a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders from 2006 to 2008 before appearing on ABC's The Bachelor.

She later competed on Season 8 of Dancing with the Stars, further expanding her television career.

Rycroft-Strickland also has a previous DWI conviction. In 2025, she was convicted in a driving while intoxicated case and sentenced to 20 months of probation.

Her latest arrest comes approximately a year after that conviction.

The Southlake Police Department announced the arrest Sunday, November 1, and said the hit-and-run collision remains under investigation.