Irving, TX

Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent was arrested for intoxication manslaughter and booked on a second-degree felony charge in connection with a car accident that killed teammate Jerry Brown.

According to Irving police, Brent was driving his car "at a high rate of speed" with Brown as passenger around 2:21 a.m. when he hit the outside curb on Route 114, causing the vehicle to flip at least once.

Brown, a linebacker who was signed to the practice squad in October, was unresponsive on the scene and transferred to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said Brent failed field sobriety tests and underwent a mandatory blood draw at a nearby hospital. He was being held without bail.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the passing of Jerry Brown," Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones said. "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."

"It's sad. Very sad. It's tragic for everybody," Cowboys VP Stephen Jones told USA TODAY Sports.

Brent and Brown were close friends as they both played at Illinois. Their careers overlapped from 2007-09 under former coach Ron Zook.

While in college, Brent pled guilty to a DUI charge in 2009 stemming from an arrest. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, 200 hours of community service and two years probation. Brent was also ordered to attend a victim's impact panel.

The 24-year-old Brent is a former supplemental draft selection who has started five games this season in place of injured starting nose tackle Jay Ratliff. Brent was scheduled to start this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

 

 

Copyright © 2012 iHaveNet.com