Report: Josh Brent’s blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit

DALLAS -- The Dallas Cowboys lineman at the wheel of the fatal crash that killed his teammate on Dec. 8 had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit, according to a Dallas Morning News report.

Third-year nose tackle Josh Brent failed a field sobriety test and refused a breathalyzer test at the scene, according to a police affidavit. But authorities were able to order his blood drawn because the wreck killed Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown Jr.

According to the newspaper, the blood test revealed a 0.18 level, well above Texas' .08 threshold for driving drunk.

"That's approximately 14 drinks or so for a man his size," Dwain Fuller, a forensic toxicologist who has testified as an expert witness in court cases for more than 25 years, told Yahoo! Sports. Brent is listed at 6-foot-2, 320 pounds.

Fuller, who is not connected to the case, said the estimated number of drinks Brent consumed could vary depending on his history with alcohol and how long he'd been drinking prior to the wreck. The Morning News attributed its story to an unidentified law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.

Officer John Argumaniz, a spokesman with the Irving Police Department, told Yahoo! Sports investigators have not received test results from the lab. He said detectives will soon meet with prosecutors to discuss the investigation before it is officially filed.

"We are still working on the case," Officer Argumaniz wrote in an email.

[Related: Jerry Brown's mother asks Josh Brent to ride with her to son's funeral]

Brent, 24, was charged with intoxication manslaughter. He is free on $500,000 bond.

Yahoo! Sports' calls to prosecutors and Brent's attorney were not immediately returned Thursday morning.

Police said Brent was speeding in his 2007 Mercedes about 2:20 a.m. Saturday when he hit a freeway curb and flipped the car.

The Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission is investigating Privae, a nightclub where Brent and a number of his Cowboy teammates reportedly were prior to the accident. A spokeswoman from the agency said authorities are trying to determine if the club, located about five miles from the scene of the wreck, violated any laws by serving Brent too many drinks.

Mesha Jackson, a promoter for the club, wrote on Twitter Friday night about the number of Cowboys players in attendance.

One tweet read, "I have 12 #Cowboys in theeee building!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #Privae."

Jackson has not returned messages from Yahoo! Sports, but tweeted Wednesday, "As all of you, I am deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy that occurred over the weekend. I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathy."

According to published reports, Brent spent 30 days in jail and received two years of probation in 2009 after pleading guilty to DUI in Illinois, where he played college football.

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