A 17-year-old Hollister girl was taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital
with a blood alcohol level of .43, more than five times the legal
limit, after friends found her unconscious near her home Saturday
night, according to police.
Hollister – A 17-year-old Hollister girl was taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital with a blood alcohol level of .43, more than five times the legal limit, after friends found her unconscious near her home Saturday night, according to police.
The teen’s condition is unknown at this time because hospital personnel are prohibited from releasing medical information on patients due to federal law, said Frankie Valent, marketing director for Hazel Hawkins. But the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department, which is notified of all deaths, did not have a report of an alcohol-related death, said Lt. Pat Turturici.
However, most authorities consider the lethal dose of alcohol to be about .40, which can kill someone or put them in a coma by slowing their breathing, heart rate and gag reflex, according to the Mayo Clinic’s Web site.
The girl, whose name is being withheld because she is a minor, left her house in the 1200 block of Rancho Drive around 6pm to go to a party on Saturday, said Hollister Police Capt. Richard Vasquez.
A little more than a half an hour later one of her friends carried her into her home, unconscious, after finding her lying next to a dumpster near her house, Vasquez said.
The girl’s mother told police her daughter has a history of coming home intoxicated, but none of her friends would tell police where she was, what she was drinking or how much alcohol she consumed, Vasquez said.
The girl’s weight and height were unavailable, but between eight to 10 drinks in about an hour can put a 100-pound woman at the lethal limit, according to the Mayo Clinic’s Web site.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
