Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Report: Student who died had high blood-alcohol

Coroner determines Hailey man died of hypothermia


By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported Friday that an 18-year-old Hailey man who died last month in Moscow had a blood-alcohol level of “at least three times the legal limit” when he left a University of Idaho fraternity party on Jan. 20 and was found dead the following day.

The newspaper was reporting on toxicology tests on the death of Joseph Wiederrick, a University of Idaho student who graduated from Wood River High School in 2012. The newspaper was referring to the .08 legal driving limit in Idaho, which would place Wiederrick’s blood-alcohol level at least as high as .24.

The Latah County Coroner’s Office earlier reported that Wiederrick died of hypothermia. His body was found under a bridge near the university campus on the afternoon of Jan. 21.

The toxicology results and cause-of-death determination confirm earlier reports from Moscow police that Wiederrick was “disoriented” when he left the party and that he succumbed to hypothermia because of exposure for several hours to cold temperatures.


Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com

 




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