Overview
- An autopsy by the Boulder County Coroner reported a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.167 for Dominiq Ponder, more than twice Colorado’s 0.08 legal limit, and listed multiple blunt-force injuries as the cause of death with the manner ruled an accident.
- Investigators say the 23-year-old lost control of a 2023 Tesla on a right-hand curve near Boulder, went through a guardrail, struck an electrical pole, rolled down an embankment, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
- The Colorado State Patrol says it is conducting a comprehensive probe that examines speed, impairment, and possible distraction in the single-vehicle crash.
- Ponder’s family launched the Dominiq Ponder 7/22 Foundation and a GoFundMe to fund scholarships, raise awareness about responsible choices, and support children’s hospitals, with his mother urging peers to intervene when a friend should not drive.
- Colorado plans to honor Ponder with a jersey patch this season; the backup quarterback appeared in two games last year after transferring to Boulder from Bethune-Cookman.