As mourning continues for the tragic death of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, investigators are starting to unravel the circumstances behind his passing early Sunday morning. Lorenzo Veloz, a spokesman with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, tells USA Today Sports that the 32-foot boat Fernandez was on appeared to be traveling at "full speed" when it slammed into a jetty off of Miami, that alcohol and drugs aren't believed to be factors in the crash (though toxicology reports are still pending), and that the 24-year-old died from the impact of the crash, not from drowning. Veloz says he had stopped the boat, owned by one of the other two men who died in the accident, before for safety checks, and while Fernandez was a frequent passenger, along with other Marlins players, "Jose was never known to drive it." More from around the web on Fernandez's untimely death:
- Josh Levin pens a poignant tribute for Slate on Fernandez, "the future of baseball" who "changed what it meant to play the game the right way." Mike Downey, meanwhile, calls Fernandez "one of baseball's brightest stars" for CNN.