Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent was arrested in Texas early this morning on charges of intoxication manslaughter involving a car accident in which a teammate died.
Jerry Brown Jr., a linebacker on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, was killed in an early morning car crash in Irving. His teammate, nose tackle Josh Brent, was driving the car and has been arrested on an intoxicated manslaughter charge, police said.
According to police, Brent, 24, was driving west in the 1400 block of the East State Highway 114 service road at a high rate of speed around 2:21 a.m. Saturday. His 2007 Mercedes “hit the outside curb,” flipped over and came to rest in the middle of the road, police said.
"Our investigators are certain that they were traveling well above the posted speed limit, and they base that on the physical evidence that is out on the scene -- gouge marks, skid marks, where the vehicle initially impacted the curb and to where the vehicle came to rest," said Irving police spokesman John Argumaniz.
The posted speed limit was 45 mph, he said. Police said the vehicle traveled about 900 feet after hitting the curb.
When officers arrived, they saw Brent attempting to drag his teammate from the car, which was on fire. Brown, also 24, was unresponsive and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The fire, which police said was small, was quickly extinguished.
Brent had minor injuries, mostly scrapes, police said. He was given a sobriety test and failed, according to police. He was taken to a hospital, where his blood was drawn. He was then taken to the Irving City Jail and booked on the second-degree felony charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Authorities said they are still awaiting the results of Brent's blood alcohol tests.
No bond has been set for Brent. Police said they expect one will be set Sunday morning and he is expected to remain in jail until that time.
Police said that several people were on the scene when they arrived, but none of them witnessed the accident. Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen the wreck to call the Irving Police Department at 972-721-2762.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones issued a statement regarding the incident.
"We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the passing of Jerry Brown. At this time, our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry’s family and all of those who knew him and loved him."
Brown joined the Cowboys in October after the release of wide receiver Raymond Radway. Prior to that, Brown had been with the Indianapolis Colts, where he rotated between the practice squad and regular roster.
Originally from St. Louis, Brown was a defensive lineman at the University of Illinois and was undrafted out of college. He and Brent were teammates in college.
Brent has been with the Cowboys since 2010 and has started five games this season. He was scheduled to start Sunday's game at Cincinnati.
This is Brent's second known run-in with the law related to drunken driving. He was arrested in 2009 in Urbana, Ill. According to a report from ESPN at the time, he was pulled over by Urbana police in February of that year and pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated the following June.
He was sentenced to two years probation, 60 days in jail, a fine and 200 hours of community service, ESPN reported. He was playing for the University of Illinois at the time, was suspended from the team following his arrest and never played again for the team.
The death of Brown and arrest of Brent brings back memories of former Cowboys cornerback Dwayne Goodrich, who was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison for the hit-and-run deaths of two good Samaritan in 2003. Goodrich was driving his BMW at a high rate of speed when he ran over the men in January of that year. Joseph Wood and Demont Matthews had pulled over on Interstate 35E near Walnut Lane to try and rescue a driver from a burning car. Shuki Josef was badly injured.
Goodrich did not stop but was arrested the next day. In 2006, a Dallas County jury ordered him to pay more than $6 million in civil damages. Goodrich was released on parole in October 2011.
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Saturday, December 8th 2012 at 8:40PM
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