Cardinals RP Hancoc.k killed in car crash

[cardsfan643]

Here's a tribute to Hancock. cardinalgirl.mlblogs.com/

Done by a Cubs fan too. That's why I like the Cubs/Cardinals rivalry. It's a respectful one.

[seaver41]

sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AqOAn2Tmh9XCGv4Ysn_fecMRvLYF?slug=ap-cardinals-hancock&prov=ap&type=lgns

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock was drunk at the time of his fatal accident, and marijuana was found in the sport utility vehicle he was driving.

Police Chief Joe Mokwa also said at a news conference Friday that the 29-year-old Hancock was speaking on a cell phone at about the time of the crash early Sunday on Interstate 64 in St. Louis.

"Mr. Hancock was legally intoxicated at the time of the accident," Mokwa said.

St. Louis medical examiner Michael Graham said Hancock's blood-alcohol level was 0.157, nearly twice Missouri's legal limit of 0.08.

Mokwa said 8.55 grams of marijuana and a glass pipe used to smoke marijuana were found in the rented Ford Explorer. Toxicology tests to determine if drugs were in his system had not been completed.

An accident reconstruction team determined Hancock was traveling 68 mph in a 55 mph zone when his SUV struck the back of a flatbed tow truck stopped in a driving lane. Mokwa said there was no evidence Hancock tried to stop. He did swerve, but too late to avoid the collision.

Graham said the pitcher died "within seconds" of head injuries. Hancock was not wearing a seat belt, but Graham said the belt would not have prevented his death.

Mokwa said cell phone records showed Hancock was speaking with a female acquaintance at about the time of the accident. Mokwa said the conversation ended abruptly, presumably when the accident occurred.

Hancock, a key bullpen member on the World Series championship team last season, was driving alone. The tow truck driver was not hurt.

Hancock, who pitched three innings of relief in last Saturday's 8-1 loss to the Cubs, left Busch Stadium around 6:30 p.m. and arrived about two hours later at Mike Shannon's, a restaurant and bar owned by the former Cardinals third baseman who now is a team broadcaster. Police said Hancock left Shannon's shortly after midnight.

At 12:34 a.m. Sunday, the tow truck came upon a disabled Geo Prism and stopped behind it with its yellow lights flashing to protect the car, Mokwa said. A few moments later, Hancock's SUV struck the rear of the tow truck.

"If you drink, don't drive," Mokwa said. "Use a taxi. Have a designated driver. Call a friend."

Graham said Hancock had severe chest injuries as well as the fatal head injuries.

"There's nothing at all that could have been done for him," Graham said.

An estimated 500 mourners turned out Thursday for a memorial service for Hancock in Tupelo, Miss., recalling the pitcher as a goodhearted prankster. Among the mourners were Hancock's teammates, coaches, manager Tony La Russa and general manager Walt Jocketty. Hancock was buried Wednesday in rural Itawamba County, Miss.

Hancock made his major league debut in September 2002 and played for four major league clubs. He went 3-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 62 regular-season appearances for the Cardinals last season, leading the bullpen in innings, and pitched in three postseason games.

He was 0-1 with a 3.55 ERA in eight games this season.

Hancock joined the Cardinals in spring training last season after Cincinnati released him for violating a weight clause in his contract. He also pitched for Boston and Philadelphia.

The Cardinals postponed a home game the day of the accident against Chicago and haven't won since. They were swept in a three-game series in Milwaukee and had a day off Thursday.

[cardsfan643]

Saw that one coming. Bummer...

[seaver41]

I can't believe he was drunk, on the phone, speeding, no seatbelt, and had pot in the car. What an idiot....

[cardsfan643]

You are such a prick. Seriously...

He made a lot of mistakes. Doesn't change the fact that he's gone forever now. If one of your parents died in a drunk driving accident, would you say, "What an idiot..."

You're allowed to have your opinion on what happened, but try to have some f*cking decency and hold back when we're talking about someone's life for Christ's sake. Just give it a rest on the pessimistic attitude for a little while.

Cool, you're a Mets fan, and none of the precious Mets players have done ANYTHING wrong. But Cardinal fans have had to deal with two players dieing in the past two years. Do you really think we need fans of other teams trying to give us a hard time on top of that?

[seaver41]

cardsfan643 said:

You are such a prick. Seriously...

That may be true but in this case I am not. It's still sad that he died and I have the utmost sympathy for his family, the Cardinals, and fans for having to go through this.

He made a lot of mistakes. Doesn't change the fact that he's gone forever now. If one of your parents died in a drunk driving accident, would you say, "What an idiot..."

Actually I would say they were stupid to drink and drive. Everyone who does it is.

Cool, you're a Mets fan, and none of the precious Mets players have done ANYTHING wrong. But Cardinal fans have had to deal with two players dieing in the past two years. Do you really think we need fans of other teams trying to give us a hard time on top of that?

My fan loyalty has NOTHING to do with this. Trust me, I know the Mets have never been perfect. Doc Gooden was buying cocaine in the Shea Stadium parking lot. I know players are not perfect, but that's not an excuse.

[cardsfan643]

That may be true but in this case I am not. It's still sad that he died and I have the utmost sympathy for his family, the Cardinals, and fans for having to go through this.

Thanks. My point isn't that what Hancock did was right. Just that when there are a bunch of Cardinal fans around, and you know that we would take offense to it, it might be in everyone's best interest to hold back on the "idiot" comments.

Actually I would say they were stupid to drink and drive. Everyone who does it is.

I very much doubt that you'd say they were stupid. Welcome to the real world. I don't know how it is on the East Coast, but here in the Midwest, drinking and driving is very common. I don't know how much experience you have with drinking, but a 0.157 BAC isn't even noticable in most people, especially not a big healthy professional athlete. It's not like he was trashed. If you saw the video of the crash, taken from a security camera from a nearby store, you'd see that he wouldn't have been able to avoid the crash anyway. There was a car cutting him off, not giving him enough time to pull away. He had tried to pull away.

I don't know how much experience you have with driving, but driving with a cell phone isn't that big of a deal. He was talking on the phone. He probably even had bluetooth, considering he was a pretty highly paid athlete. Also, 68 in a 55 is barely anything. In St. Louis, the speed limit pretty much goes 10 mph past whatever is posted.

My fan loyalty has NOTHING to do with this. Trust me, I know the Mets have never been perfect. Doc Gooden was buying cocaine in the Shea Stadium parking lot. I know players are not perfect, but that's not an excuse.

My point was that you are very critical of fans from other teams, and never critical of your own team. You are noone to judge the character of someone you don't know.

[Fish Troll]

Still that just way too many "he just cross the line a little" that can all add up to something serious. Too bad this is going to be another tough reminder of what could happen if you drink and drive. RIP.

[cardsfan643]

He made a mistake. No reason for anyone to get insensative.