Toxicology reports revealed Friday that late Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas’ blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit of .08 at the time of his death.
The Tennessean reported that Bironas had a BAC of .218 when he lost control of his 2009 Yukon Denali, hitting several trees and landing upside down in a drainage culvert. The 36-year-old died from blunt force trauma in the Sept. 20 accident.
The toxicology report also revealed that Bironas had low levels Diazepam, or Valium, in his system, but the medical examiner said the nine nanograms per milliliter would have had “negligible effects.”
Bironas’ father, Larry Bironas, released a statement.
“We appreciate the hard work of the local authorities to help us begin to answer the many questions we have had surrounding the death of our son. Today we learned that Rob had been drinking, and got behind the wheel. This is something he didn’t do as a rule. We don’t know why he made that choice this time. Rob made a mistake, and he paid the ultimate price. We appreciate the outpouring of support, care and concern showed to us by Rob’s friends, the NFL, and the Nashville community. We appreciate your respect for his mother and me, his siblings, his son, and his wife as we grieve.”
Two separate motorists called 911 before the accident, alleging that Bironas tried to run them off the road before ultimately crashing his vehicle. Bironas’ wife, Rachel Bradshaw, also gave conflicting reports of the events that occurred before Bironas left the house that night.
The Tennessean reported that the Metro Nashville Police Department is still investigating the crash.
Photo via Don McPeak/USA TODAY Sports Images
