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DALLAS, Texas (AFP) –
NFL player Josh Brent, pictured here in 2010, was arrested early Saturday on drunk driving manslaughter charges in connection with a single-vehicle smash that killed Dallas Cowboys teammate Jerry Brown.
NFL player Josh Brent was arrested early Saturday on drunk driving manslaughter charges in connection with a single-vehicle smash that killed Dallas Cowboys reserve Jerry Brown.
According to police in the Dallas suburb of Irving the 24-year-old Brent — named in the police report at Joshua Price-Brent — was driving on Highway 114 at around 2:20 a.m. at a high speed when the vehicle struck a curb causing it to flip before coming to a stop in the middle of the service road.
When police arrived at the scene the car was burning and Brent appeared to be trying to drag Brown from the vehicle.
Brown, 25, was unresponsive at the scene and was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Brent was arrested for drunk driving after being given a sobriety test at the scene of the smash. He was booked into the Irving City Jail on a count of drink driving manslaughter, police said.
Brent is the nose tackle for Dallas while Brown was a member of the Cowboy’s practice squad.
The two played together at the University of Illinois from 2007-09, where during his college career Brent was suspended in 2009 after a misdemeanor drunk driving arrest.
Brent now faces a second-degree felony charge that could carry a jail sentence of from two to 20 years. His bond was expected to be set on Sunday morning, police said.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the passing of Jerry Brown,” said Dallas owner Jerry Jones.
“At this time, our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry’s family and all of those who knew him and loved him.”
Brent started five games this season for the Cowboys, who were travelling Saturday to Cincinnati where they were to play the Bengals on Sunday.
ESPN reported that the Cowboys players were informed of Brown’s death after they had boarded their chartered plane for Cincinnati.
It’s the second week in a row that the NFL has been touched by tragedy.
Last Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs and the rest of the league were stunned when Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins at the house they shared, then drove to the team’s practice facilities and shot himself.
The next day, the Chiefs beat the Carolina Panthers 27-21 to end an eight-game losing streak.
