A deceased driver of a commercial truck that overturned in February had a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, causing a nitrate spill that closed Interstate 10 and left a nearby area sheltered. was

An autopsy and toxicology report by the Pima County coroner found Ricky Immel’s blood alcohol level to be .312. The legal limit for commercial drivers in Arizona is 0.04. Truck drivers are also prohibited from driving for four hours after consuming alcoholic beverages.

Dr. Gregory Hess, the Pima County Coroner, said Immel was intoxicated at the time of the crash, but it was impossible to determine his cause of death.

He said Immel’s injuries were not catastrophic and the report attributed them to “blunt force injuries, possibly postural asphyxiation, exposure to nitrogen gas, hypertension, obesity, acute and chronic ethanol abuse, and diabetes.” concludes.

Immel was killed on February 14 after the commercial vehicle he was driving overturned on the Interstate 10 median east of Tucson.

The crash caused a cargo leak of nitric oxide gas, prompting residents near the crash site to be evacuated for more than a day and closing Interstate 10 for a similar period.

Immel was found in the driver’s seat of the truck with his seatbelt on hours after the accident. His assistance dog escaped the crash and was returned to Immel’s family.

The toxicology report also points to the presence of chlordiazepoxide in Immel’s blood, a concentration Hess said was “not contributing.”

That drug is a benzodiazepine. Approved to treat Mild to moderate to severe anxiety disorders, preoperative anxiety, and alcohol withdrawal.

The Arizona Department of Public Service has not yet released a report on the accident.

Please read both documents below.