Cardinals Hurler Hancock Was Legally Drunk At The Time Of His Fatal Crash
Posted May 4, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock died Sunday when his Ford Explorer rear-ended a tow truck, and on Friday local authorities confirmed the 29-year-old reliever was legally drunk at the time of his fatal accident.
Hancock, a key member of the Cardinals bullpen during their 2006 World Series run, was alone in his vehicle in the early morning hours and was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials say the truck Hancock hit was in the left lane assisting another vehicle that was involved in a prior accident. The driver of the tow truck was in his vehicle when it was struck by Hancock, but wasn’t injured.
Hancock’s death shook up the baseball world, and he was the second Cardinals player to die in less than five years after hurler Darryl Kile was found dead in his hotel room in June of 2002. H ancock also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies and was picked up by St. Louis after being released from his contract with the former for violating a weight clause in his contract.
