ATC State Supervisor Discusses
Investigation into Hancock Accident
ST. LOUIS, May 31, 2007-State Supervisor Pete Lobdell
was in St. Louis today to iscuss the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco
Control’s special investigation into the April 29th crash that
led to the death of Cardinals baseball player Joshua Hancock.
Under state statue, ATC has the authority to discipline
establishments who knowingly serve alcohol to a visibly intoxicated
person. The night of the accident Hancock’s blood alcohol content
(BAC) was 0.157, twice the legal limit. After the St. Louis Police
Department concluded their investigation, ATC began a two-week long
investigation into Mike Shannon’s restaurant where Hancock had
been drinking prior to the accident.
ATC agents interviewed bartenders, servers and witnesses
to determine if Hancock was continually served alcohol after showing
signs of being drunk. Those interviewed consistently stated Hancock
was drinking in moderation and visiting with teammates and friends.
The manager of the restaurant offered to arrange a cab for Hancock
since it was almost midnight, but he declined. It is unknown whether
Hancock consumed additional alcohol after leaving the restaurant,
before his fatal car accident at 12:42 a.m.
“I want to express my sincere condolences to the
Hancock family, Cardinal baseball teammates and fans and the Major
League Baseball Association,” Lobdell said. “Our special
investigation has found there is no credible evidence that Mike Shannon’s
restaurant is at fault for serving an intoxicated person. We will
not take any administrative action against the restaurant license.
Although I am saddened by this tragic event, I hope it will serve
as a reminder to all Missourians the dangers of drinking and driving.”
ATC agents teach roughly 175 server training courses
throughout the year and around the state to deter the number of alcoholic
misfortunes. Included in this training is recognizing the warning
signs that customers have had too much to drink.