The parallels are freakishly familiar…
The settlement last week of a lawsuit by parents of a KU student who died after a night of binge drinking two years ago has striking similarities to Kansas Citian Brian Euston. Euston, 24, died last fall after a night on the town at Kelly’s.
Jason Wren, a 19 year-old KU freshman, was found dead at a frat house after a night of heavy drinking. Euston died after an altercation in Westport and a night of even heavier drinking. How heavy?
Wren’s fatal blood-alcohol level measured .362, more than four times the legal limit to drive in Kansas.
Euston took it to even further extremes with a BAC of .387
“From the reports I’ve seen, the kid in Lawrence was passed out at .362," says a local DUI lawyer who asked not to be named. "The Euston kid was walking, and presumably talking, with a .387. Some people just have a higher tolerance naturally (and) some people can build up a tolerance over time. But any way you slice it, as you approach .20 you generally start doing a lot of stuff you would never normally do, and probably have no idea you’re doing it. Then you pass out.”
The lawsuit filed by Wren’s family asked for $75,000 in damages but terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
One remaining unanswered question; was Euston over served?
“Show me a bartender who can’t tell that someone ordering a drink is at .3 or higher, and I’ll show you a liar,” the lawyer says. “Bartenders are supposed to cut off people who are ‘visibly intoxicated.’ Though, c’mon we all know that rarely happens. But ‘visibly intoxicated’ is different than .362 or whatever that kid was. Visibly intoxicated is probably around .14 or something for most people. That’s probably about a six-pack in two, two and a half hours for (most people) to get to .14."
Why no comments? I will tell you why.
Now the silence from the Euston posse is deafening…. maybe they are litigating and have been told to pipe down… I don’t know. But 20-25 year olds getting hammered is not a story. I speak for a lot of men who will tell you that they don’t know how they made it to 26 alive. Insurance compainies are really frealking smart. Maybe why that is why men under 25 pay crazy insurance rates.
But… Euston was assaulted Hearne. If a female had the same alcohol content and was assaulted there would be no issue. They would go after the perp.
Not taking issue with what may have happened…
That’s why we have trials. Merely noting that this kid had a serious, way over-the-top problem. One that in all likelihood contributed to his demise. And I’m wondering two things; 1) what will come out of the investigation into him being overserved? and 2) will there be a lawsuit?
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