At his career peak, Vincent was one of TV's highest-paid actors. He reportedly received $200,000 per episode for "Airwolf," according to The New York Times. On the show, Vincent played Stringfellow Hawke, a pilot who operated an advanced technological military helicopter on special missions. Vincent acted alongside legendary actor Ernest Borgnine. But even as his career thrived, it became apparent that he was getting out of control in his personal life. He took drugs, drank heavily, and got into trouble with the law. Bar fights in 1984 and in 1985 led to Vincent's arrest (via The Press-Courier).
Vincent was on probation after being convicted of drunk driving, and he chose to go to rehab in 1986 instead of facing jail time for violating his parole. "Airwolf" was canceled that same year, and its troubled star kept working, albeit in less prominent TV and film projects. A 1996 car accident devastated Vincent physically. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was incapacitated by alcohol when he crashed his car, breaking his neck and injuring his vocal cords.
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