NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former Titans kicker Rob Bironas was intoxicated and speeding when his sports-utility vehicle went off the road and crashed into a row of trees, according to the final police report.
The report issued Friday says data analysis shows Bironas was driving at 73 mph going into a curve where he lost control of his and crashed Sept. 20. Paramedics found Bironas dead at the scene before taking him to a hospital where he was declared dead.
“The cause of the crash was Driver l’s failure to maintain the proper lane and exceeding the posted speed limit,” according to the report. “This case is now closed.”
Bironas, whose seat belt was buckled, died from blunt-force injuries according to the final autopsy report. The toxicology report showed his blood-alcohol level was at 0.218 percent, well above Tennessee’s limit for driving under the influence of 0.08 percent. The toxicology report also found a low level of Diazepam or Valium also was detected, but at a level so low to have a “negligible effect.”
The Titans released Bironas in March. He played nine seasons with the franchise and had worked out for Detroit the week of his death. Bironas was the fourth most-accurate kicker in NFL history, connecting on 85.7 percent of his kicks (239 of 279). He finished as the Titans’ second leading career scorer with 1,032 points, and he made a franchise-record 11 winning field goals during his career.
Police investigating the crash found video showing Bironas leaving his home around 10:40 p.m. that night before he apparently chased a truck. The report notes four Belmont University students called police charging Bironas chased their pickup at speeds of up to 110 mph.
Another witness, Cynthia Wilde, told police Bironas had tried to drive her vehicle off the road before her husband pulled over to let the SUV pass just before the crash at approximately 11 p.m.
Bironas’ wife Rachel, daughter of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, called 911 when she couldn’t locate her husband after they had been watching a movie at home.
