How Did Jose Fernandez Die? While boating accidents in Miami are not unusual, investigators say that Jose Fernandez’s death was more than simple boating gone wrong. The pitcher was a Cuban-American who played for the Miami Marlins for four seasons in Major League Baseball, nicknamed “Niño” by his fans. Originally born in Cuba in 1992, he defected to the United States in 2008. Having been drafted into the MLB in 2013, Fernandez was Captain of his team when the accident occurred.
The Miami Coast Guard found the boat overturned on a dock by the beach in the early hours of the 25th of September. Reportedly, one was found dead in the water and two under the 32-foot vessel, with not one of them having donned a lifejacket. Fernandez died from having his jaw jammed into the helm. On the 20th of September, the former athlete announced that his girlfriend, Maria Arias, was pregnant and he was expecting a daughter, he also pitched the “best” eight innings of shutout baseball in his life, living his life to the fullest just five days before the fateful day.
South Florida held a grand ceremony in honor of the Marlins Captain
Fans and family believed that the death of the player was an unfortunate turn of events with the boat capsizing when it drove into a jetty in the pre-dawn at 3 a.m. With forensics reports taking a long time to come, the League and family decided to honor the death of their beloved Captain by fans lining up by his coffin, and teammates offered an emotional tribute by playing in his jersey, no.16, as South Florida mourned Jose Fernandez’s death.
The Marlins won the game 7-3 as they were scheduled to play on Sunday, the day which Jose Fernandez died, but the game was canceled. At the rescheduled match, they announced that no. 16 would never be on the field again. The northwest 17 avenue in Florida was to be named ‘Jose Fernandez Way’ in the principle of the MLB player as decided by the officials of the county on the eve of his death.
How Did Jose Fernandez Die?
It was all fine until six months later, the truth about Jose Fernandez came to light. Toxicology reports by the forensics revealed that Fernandez was high when he was driving the boat. The man had snorted cocaine and had drunk two bottles of tequila, according to the nightclub, confirming the men had visited the night of the accident. Emergency responders also said that he had sped over the limit in dangerous waters without caution and the FWC claimed it was him behind the wheel due to his molars being jammed into the front of the boat, even as it was confirmed that the young star died of trauma and not drowning as his mates did. The investigators concluded that it was DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) manslaughter. All in all, the investigators stated that the accident was owed to Jose Fernandez’s reckless behavior.
While those that loved the star were still in disbelief and denial, the families of the two men who died along with Fernandez, Emilio Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25, filed a wrongful death suit against him. The lawsuit went on for two years before finally being settled by Fernandez’s attorney in 2018, who said he was happy about it and shunned releasing further information concerning the accident or the settlement to the media.
It is still not over
Following the resolution, the Fernandez family attorney called into question the authenticity of the evidence found by the FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). “I wouldn’t want IRS investigating a homicide”, he said, appalled that the experts were not the ones to determine whether it was Fernandez behind the wheel or not. Though facts about body toxicity levels were unrefuted factors in Jose Fernandez’s death, he still argues that his client was not the one at fault and assured everyone that he would have his name cleared.
The county commissioner reacted by saying that the decision to rename the street in honor of the athlete was based on his life accomplishments and his death has no part in it, but some expressed doubt and resentment. The Miami league responded that Jose Fernandez, regardless of the conditions surrounding his death, has left a lasting positive impact on the lives of young aspirants worldwide and that his legacy will inspire many for the better.
