Colorado QB Dominiq Ponder's BAC Was Twice the Legal Limit When He Died in Crash
The autopsy report from the Boulder County Coroner's Office confirms that Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder had a blood alcohol level of .167 when he died in a single-car crash near Boulder on March 1. That's more than double the legal driving limit of .08 (and well above the .05 threshold for driving while ability impaired). The 23-year-old lost control on a curve, hit a guardrail, struck an electrical line pole, and rolled down an embankment in his 2023 Tesla. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Details of the Crash
The autopsy lists "multiple blunt force injuries" as the cause of death and "accident" as the manner of death. Colorado State Patrol is conducting a comprehensive investigation that will examine factors including speed, impairment, distracted driving, and more. Ponder was a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Florida who had started his college career at Bethune-Cookman before transferring to Colorado. He played in two games for the Buffaloes last season.
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Ponder's mom, Catrina Hughes, released a statement focusing on who her son was as a person. "He was a determined student-athlete, a leader, and someone with a huge heart who fiercely loved his family, his teammates, and the game of football," Hughes wrote. She emphasized that meaningful conversations need to happen about responsible decision-making and supporting young adults. "One bad decision can alter everything," she added.
The Ponder family has started a GoFundMe page and created a foundation called "Dominiq Ponder 7/22" to support student-athletes, children's hospitals, families dealing with medical challenges, and to promote responsible decision-making. Hughes stressed the importance of young people making good choices and having the courage to intervene when friends aren't thinking clearly. "A difficult conversation is easier than a lifetime of loss," she wrote.
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