Autopsy: Marlins Pitcher Had Cocaine, Alcohol in His System

Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez had cocaine and alcohol in his system when his boat crashed into a Miami Beach jetty, according to toxicology reports released Saturday. The AP reports it's not clear whether Fernandez was driving when the boat crashed Sept. 25, killing the 24-year-old baseball star and two of his friends. But Fernandez had a blood-alcohol content level of 0.147, well above Florida's legal limit of 0.08, according to autopsy reports. Associate Medical Examiner Kenneth Hutchins listed the cause of death as "boat crash" for Fernandez, 27-year-old Emilio Jesus Macias and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero. Each man had suffered blunt force injuries to his head and body, Hutchins wrote.

Toxicology reports showed both Macias and Rivero also had alcohol levels below the state's legal limit, while Rivero also had cocaine in his system. The bodies had a strong odor of alcohol on them when they were recovered by divers, and investigators also found evidence the boat was speeding when it slammed into the jetty, according to a search warrant affidavit released this week. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez directed the medical examiner's office to release the autopsy reports Saturday, a day after the Miami Herald sued the medical examiner's office seeking their release. Fernandez was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2013 and a two-time All-Star. (More Jose Fernandez stories.)