Coroner: Kentucky fraternity member died of alcohol toxicity
Published 5:21 am Thursday, December 16, 2021
A Kentucky coroner has concluded that alcohol toxicity caused the death two months ago of a University of Kentucky fraternity member, classifying the death as an accidental overdose, authorities said.
Thomas “Lofton” Hazelwood, 18, died at the University of Kentucky Hospital after he was found unresponsive with vomit on his body by friends at the FarmHouse Fraternity house on Oct. 18. The freshman was a new member of the fraternity and his friends reported he was highly intoxicated, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
The coroner’s report showed Hazelwood’s blood alcohol concentration was .354 and that he also tested positive for amphetamines. A person is considered legally impaired in Kentucky when one’s blood alcohol concentration measures 0.08 or higher, according to the state Office of Highway Safety.
In classifying the death as an accidental overdose, the report also said there were no signs of trauma or foul play.
“No criminal charges will be filed in this case,” the report stated, according to the Herald-Leader.
The university suspended all activities for the fraternity after Hazelwood’s death, and halted all pledge activities for fraternities on campus. The university’s police and office of student conduct both launched investigations after Hazelwood’s death.
“The two investigations are nearing completion and we will discuss the results when those reviews are substantively complete,” a university spokesperson Jay Blanton told the Herald-Leader on Wednesday.