Rob Bironas Guilty of Enhanced DUI
Rob Bironas’ BAC Over Legal Limit
Rob Bironas was Driving Under the Influence (DUI) at the tie of his single-vehicle crash! Contrary to the reports from his newlywed wife, the results of the toxicology report on Rob Bironas released on Friday show the late Titans kicker had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.218 percent, significantly in excess of the legal limit (.08), when he died in a single vehicle crash on Sept. 20. Why Bironas had such a high BAC level is unclear. The completed autopsy report ruled that Bironas died from blunt force trauma and a broken neck. In addition to the excessively high BAC concentration, a low level of Diazepam (Valium) was detected in Bironas’ blood. The chemical analysis revelation is contrary to initial police reports that alcohol was not a factor in the accident.
What We Know So Far
After the release of the toxicology report by the medical examiner, there are more questions than answers surrounding the death of Rob Bironas:
- Bironas was very particular about not getting behind a wheel while under the influence
- Bironas was at home on this night but his family says he only had a few glasses of wine
- Bironas’ wife told police she thought he had gone to bed at 9:40 p.m. but later said it was 10:30 p.m., and did not even know he left the house
- Accusations of Bironas confronting other motorists in separate road rage incidents 30 minutes before his fatal accident
- The tire marks showed his son had his hands on the steering wheel and was “fighting it” to keep the vehicle from going off the road.
- Bironas’ vehicle left the road,hit several trees, and landed upside down in a drainage ditch
Effects Of BAC > .20%
To have a blood alcohol concentration of .218%, a person of Bironas’ height and weight would have to drink approximately 9 drinks in an hour. Two hours before his death, an iPhone video revealed that Bironas did not appear intoxicated, raising questions about high level of intoxication of Bironas the night of the accident. This fact, combined with motorist reports of a disoriented Bironas in fits of road rage 30 minutes prior to the crash, what happened to change Bironas’ level of intoxication and temperament.
The scientific method for determining when a person is under the influence of alcohol, is Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC,). BAC is the percentage of ethyl alcohol in the blood (or proportion of alcohol to blood in the body). In all states, a BAC of .08% is considered legally drunk. The quicker someone drinks, the higher the BAC; the higher the BAC, the more dangerous drinking becomes. Scientific studies indicate that a person with a BAC .18%-.25% are often disoriented, confused, dizzy, have exaggerated emotional states, lack of muscular coordination, stagger, and have slurred speech.
More Questions Than Answers
The circumstances of the Bironas tragedy raises more questions than we have answers:
- Where did Bironas consume enough alcohol to cause him to have a BAC > 0.218%?
- What caused Bironas to engage other drivers in two (2) separate road rage incidents?
- What caused the dramatic shift from a calm Bironas to an enraged Bironas?
Only after continued investigation and the passage of time will all the answers be forthcoming.
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