Jose Fernandez's toxicology report shows cocaine, alcohol in system during fatal crash

A toxicology report released Saturday has revealed that Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was legally drunk and had cocaine in his system at the time of his fatal boat crash in Miami.

The report — obtained by USA Today and the Miami Herald — shows Fernandez had been drinking in the early morning hours of Sept. 25, when he and two friends, Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25, were killed in a boating accident off Miami Beach. His blood-alcohol level was 0.147, almost twice the legal limit of .08. The report also shows Fernandez had cocaine in his system, indicating use in the hours prior to the accident.

 

Here’s the full report, via The Herald:

Marlins star Jose Fernandez also had cocaine in his blood when he died , toxicology report shows pic.twitter.com/cB6vkCf4XR

— David Ovalle (@DavidOvalle305) October 29, 2016

A toxicology report for Rivero shows that he too had taken cocaine and consumed alcohol the morning of the crash. Macias drank alcoholic beverages the day of the crash, but was not under the influence of any illegal drugs, the report said.

It remains unclear, authorities say, who was driving the boat.

Prior to World Series Game 4 on Saturday, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was asked about the newest findings.

Manfred re new data on Jose Fernandez: "this doesn't change the fact he was a great player & a great young man who will be sorely missed."

— Eric Fisher (@EricFisherSBJ) October 29, 2016

According to Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, the medical examiner had elected not to publicly release the autopsy reports after they were completed at the request of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is currently conducting a criminal investigation into the fatal boat crash. However, a recent legal inquiry changed their stance.

“When a local news organization, which had submitted a public records request for the information, was informed that it would not be released due to the Fish & Wildlife investigation, the news organization filed a lawsuit against the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner,” Gimenez said. “Since the information was being held at the Fish & Wildlife’s request, the county asked the agency to join in the public records lawsuit as a co-defendant. Fish & Wildlife refused to be a party to the lawsuit.”

According to a search warrant affidavit, the boat was traveling at a high rate of speed and that the driver of the vessel was driving with “recklessness” that was “exacerbated by the consumption of alcohol.”