Potomania

[noun]: an intense persistent desire to drink alcoholic beverages to excess

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Terrence McCann

A High Point University student whose body was found face down in a shallow creek more than a month ago had a blood-alcohol level that was more than twice the legal limit for drivers in North Carolina, according to an autopsy report.

Terrence McCann, 20, of Glenside, Pa., had a blood-alcohol level of 0.2 at the time of his death, the chief medical examiner's office reported. The autopsy and police investigation found no signs of foul play.

McCann was reported missing by his parents May 9, one day after they arrived in High Point to take him home for summer break. McCann's friends told police they had been drinking alcohol the afternoon of May 7 and continued drinking at a bar later that evening.

Police say McCann's friend, Brandon Michael Wright, 21, of Laurel Springs, N.J., bought malt beverages and passed them along to McCann. He has been charged with aiding and abetting giving malt beverages to anyone under 21, a misdemeanor.

McCann's body was found in a creek on May 10. Police believe McCann was headed home when he cut through a steep wooded area and lost his footing before falling into less than 2 inches of water. McCann had several small abrasions on his arms, hands and face, but the scratches were not sufficient to cause death or suggest foul play, according to the autopsy report released Monday.