Dallas Cowboys player, Josh Brent attends a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium on December 16, 2012 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent was indicted Wednesday for
felony intoxication manslaughter, nearly three weeks after police said
he drove drunk and flipped his car, killing his teammate and friend
Jerry Brown.
The case now heads to criminal court in Dallas
County, Texas, where Brent will await trial while out of jail on a
$100,000 bond. No hearing or trial date has been set, according to a
spokeswoman for the Dallas County district attorney's office.
A
copy of the accident report obtained Wednesday by USA TODAY Sports shows
that neither Brown nor Brent were wearing seat belts. It says Brent's
blood-alcohol concentration measured at .189, more than twice the legal
limit. Brent had an expired and suspended driver's license, and an
unopened alcoholic beverage was found on the scene, according to the
report. Brent previously was convicted of a DUI charge in 2009.
The district attorney received the case from police Friday, and a grand jury handed down the indictment Wednesday.
Brent's attorney will meet with a case prosecutor next to discuss how they will proceed with the case, the spokeswoman said.
After leaving a popular nightclub in
Dallas early Dec. 8, Brent was driving his 2007 Mercedes with Brown as
his passenger. The car hit a curb in Irving, Texas, flipping it back
onto the street. Brent suffered only minor injuries. Brown, a linebacker
with the Cowboys' practice squad, was transported to the hospital,
where he was pronounced dead. The wreck was towed and impounded. Brent
went to jail, but was released the next day on bond. He faces two to 20
years in prison.
Brent, 24, and Brown, 25, were teammates at the University of Illinois.
USA TODAY