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DA to Review ALE’s Report Regarding Liability of Establishments Serving Alcohol to Drowned ASU Student

Tyler Blalock – Courtesy ASU

By Jesse Wood

Oct. 29, 2012. District Attorney Jerry Wilson and his office have received N.C. Alcohol and Law Enforcement’s final report concerning the September death of ASU student Tyler Blalock, who drowned in Kraut Creek on the campus of ASU after a fall knocked him unconscious while he was intoxicated.

However, Wilson said that due to a murder trial being tried this week, he hasn’t reviewed the report yet and likely won’t for at least another week.

N.C. ALE’s report concerns the potential liability of establishments where Blalock purchased and/or consumed alcohol before drowning in Kraut Creek, Wilson said, adding that the incident was an accident and no foul play was involved.

Since Wilson hadn’t read the report, he couldn’t comment on which High Country establishments were involved, and officials with the N.C. ALE are not commenting on the case.

What is known is that Blalock had a N.C. driver’s license that was not his but bore similar resemblance to himself. He attended a party off campus around 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, where he was in a “somewhat intoxicated state.” He later purchased beer at a local store and returned to the party.

Around 11:30 p.m., he left the party with friends for a nearby bar. Witnesses reported to University Police that Blalock appeared very intoxicated. Witnesses told police that Blalock left the bar at approximately 2 a.m. and was last seen walking toward campus. The medical examiner has estimated Blalock’s death to have occurred around 2:30 Saturday morning and the cause of death was drowning.