Police, Celebrity Gossip Photographers Talk Dennis Quaid Out of DUI

Dennis Quaid was thisclose to being popped for DUI last night.

At Philippe restaurant in West Hollywood early this morning. Quaid, his wife Kimberly and a friend walked outside where valet had already brought their car.

The motor was running, they got in and Quaid got behind the wheel.

He turned the wheel a matter of inches but had not yet shifted it into drive when a local policeman pulled up alongside and urged the actor to call a cab.

Dennis responded that he didn't want to drive. The cop repeatedly said, "Get out of the car." Quaid responded, "What do you want me to do?!" He then grew some brain cells and asked if they could go back in the restaurant and the cop said yes.

Dennis Quaid and wife Kimberly lucked out last night.

The Quaids did end up taking a cab home and he came back for the car a short while ago. Interestingly, he could have been arrested from a legal standpoint.

The car was on and he was behind the wheel, but the police officer used his discretion and decided not to pursue it. Maybe he should thank the paparazzi.

Members of the celebrity gossip media mobbing the scene joked with Quaid, saying "You don't want a DUI. You don't want to end up like Mel Gibson!"

Hard to argue with that.

Good to see Dennis make the right choice in the end ... even if it caused a scene and took more than a little cajoling. All's well that ends well, right?

Besides, even if he had been arrested and tossed in the drunk tank overnight, Randi and Evi Quaid would still be the black sheep of the family.