Driver Of Nick Adenhart's Car Was Also Drunk

A toxicology report on Courtney Stewart, the young woman who was killed along with Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart in an April car crash, reveals that Stewart—who was behind the wheel of Adenhart's car—was legally drunk at the time.

Orange County Weekly obtained a copy of the report ( posted on their website) showing that Stewart's "postmortem" blood alcohol level was .16, twice the legal limit for a regular driver—however, Stewart was also underage. It's unclear "what it all means" at this point, and it may have no bearing on the essential facts of the incident, but the whole situation just got a lot messier—and could get much uglier. The driver of the other car in the accident, Andrew Gallo, has been charged with three counts of murder and could get the death penalty. He was also drunk that night and no one really disputes witness testimony that he ran a red light, smashed into the other car, killing Adenhart, Stewart and Henry Pearson, and then fled the scene.

I don't believe that California law mimics Florida's drunk-driving statutes—where the responsibility of both drivers comes into play—but this could still affect the case against Gallo. Or not. He was a convicted drunk driver and all the witnesses say it was his fault, so prosecutors may still look to throw the book at him. But at the very least, his lawyers could paint a very unflattering picture of the victims and cast doubt on the image of Gallo as vicious killer. Yeah, this is not going to be fun.

Autopsy Report: Adenhart Driver Also Drunk [Orange County Weekly]