Jerry Brown had consumed well below the Texas legal limit of alcohol when he died last month in a car driven by Dallas Cowboys teammate Josh Brent, according to an autopsy report.
Neither Brown, a practice squad player, not Brent, the team’s starting defensive tackle, wore seat belts in the one-car accident on December 8. Brown’s blood-alcohol content was determined to be 0.0056 – nowhere near the limit of 0.08.
Meanwhile, Brent’s blood-alcohol content was 0.18, which is more than twice the legal limit at the time of the accident. He has been charged with intoxication manslaughter and freed on $100,000 bond.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office reported in its autopsy Thursday that Brown died of head and neck trauma when their vehicle overturned. He had a dislocated neck and a severely bruised spine. Brent apparently was unharmed and was seen pulling his friend from the wreckage when police arrived.
Brent, who has been emotionally distraught since the accident, according to his lawyers, has received support from Brown’s family and even attended a memorial service for the deceased player at the behest of Brown’s mother.
The Cowboys have supported Brent and encouraged him to attend a game last month. He was on the sideline for more than half of Dallas’ comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks after the accident. When he learned his presence there caused somewhat of a commotion, Brent left the stadium. Coach Jason Garrett and owner Jerry Jones said they were unaware that Brent would be present at the game.
A few days later, the team and league forbade him from attending any more Cowboys games.
