From the Miami Dolphins Examiner on March 26, 2009.
This is a story that could be in any NFL town, on any given Sunday. But in this instance, it’s a closing chapter to a sad South Florida story. And, God knows, there are at least one of those every day.
This is the story of David Whiting, a middle-aged fan from West Palm Beach driving drunk on his way home from a Dolphins game on Nov. 19, 2006.
This is also the story of the crash Whiting caused that day on I-95 that killed Barry Mazer, a family man from Boca Raton, and his 2-year-old daughter Sydney. Three other very young Mazer children survived the crash. They were on their way home from a family outing. Mazer's final words were said to be: "Please, save the children."
In the bigger picture, it's an example of the dirty, little not-so-secret behavior of binge drinking at NFL games.
...
One paramedic said in the courtroom as Whiting’s sentencing phase began that at the scene Whiting cared only that the Dolphins had won the game he attended. A Broward forensic toxicologist testified that judging from the blood-alcohol test administered to Whiting that Whiting must have consumed 10-11 beers. Another paramedic said that he heard Whiting on the telephone with his mother, letting her know he wouldn’t make dinner, had gotten into an accident and “somebody died… but at least the Dolphins won.”
Mazer family members said in court that Whiting has been in jail since June 2007 because of a subsequent DUI charge while out of jail on bond for the DUI fatalities. He faces a minimum of 30-plus years and could get life. He pleaded no contest to multiple charges and leaves his fate to the judge. [UPDATE: The judge sentenced Whiting to 35 years in prison on Friday.]
You can read more by clicking here.
Fans have been killed after Buffalo Bills games in DWI crashes as well. NFL binge drinking continues to be a big problem.
This is article #17 in a series on Drugs Kill.
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