Alcohol-Poisoned Teen's Parents Speak Out
Sept. 22, 2004 -- -- Out of all the fears Samantha Spady's parents faced, they could have never imagined that their daughter would die in a college fraternity as a result of alcohol poisoning.
"I don't think she understood drinking could kill you," her father, Rick Spady, said today on ABC News' Good Morning America.
Authorities said 19-year-old Samantha Spady died of alcohol poisoning Sept. 6 after consuming 30 to 40 beers and vodka drinks in 11 hours. Her body was found in a fraternity house at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
Her mother says it's still hard for her to believe this happened to her daughter — an honors student, former homecoming queen and cheerleader.
"That wasn't my daughter," said Patty Spady, of the heavy drinking that went on the night her daughter died.
"Samantha was the girl next door," she said. "She was anybody's friend. This could happen to anybody."
Trying to Prevent Similar Losses
That realization has led the Spadys to create a foundation to try to prevent other parents from suffering similar losses.
The Spadys say the SAM [Student Alcohol Management] Spady Foundation will develop peer-to-peer counseling and other services meant to reduce the risk of alcohol abuse.
Rick and Patty Spady said their daughter was partying with friends after a football game the night she died, but they said they do not yet have all of the information about what happened.
According to authorities, Samantha, a sophomore business major from Beatrice, Neb., had a blood-alcohol level of 0.436 when she died. In Colorado, a person with a blood-alcohol level about 0.08 percent is considered too intoxicated to drive.
Dean Beers, the Larimer County deputy coroner, said a blood-alcohol level of just 0.40 is considered potentially lethal. Beers said the young woman's death was ruled accidental and there was no sign of foul play.
Fort Collins Police Detective Kristy Volesky said that Spady began drinking at 6 p.m. on Sept. 5 and didn't stop until about 5 a.m. the morning she died. Her body was found alone and fully clothed in an unlocked lounge at the Sigma Pifraternity house by a frat member giving a tour.
The coroner said Spady and some companions started drinking beer but later switched to straight shots of vodka. He said Spady drank the equivalent of 30 to 40 12-ounce beers or 1-ounce shots of liquor.
Spady's parents said they always thought they had told their daughter everything she would ever need to know when it comes to the risks related to drinking. Now they're asking themselves if there is more parents can say or do to drive home the message.
"We talked to her about the consequences of drinking," Patty Spady said. "But I don't think she was aware that it could actually kill if she drank that much."
For information on the SAM Spady Foundation, go to www.samspadyfoundation.org