Alcohol cited as cause of OU student's death

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- The state medical examiner says a University of Oklahoma student found dead in a fraternity house died from drinking too much alcohol.<br/><br/>Blake Hammontree of Medford had a blood

Thursday, September 30th 2004, 3:40 pm

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- The state medical examiner says a University of Oklahoma student found dead in a fraternity house died from drinking too much alcohol.

Blake Hammontree of Medford had a blood alcohol level of .42, more than five times the legal limit for intoxication.

The 19-year-old Hammontree's body was found Thursday morning in an upstairs area of the Sigma Chi fraternity house.

Kevin Rowland at the state medical examiner's office says anything above .40 is considered lethal.

OU President David Boren has announced plans to close the frat house.

Boren says it's his duty to reaffirm that the university will not tolerate underage drinking and the violation of rules regarding alcohol.

Hammontree's death is the third on a college campus in the US this month.

Lynn Gordon Bailey junior died at the University of Colorado after apparently drinking heavily with his new fraternity brothers.

Samantha Spady died at a Colorado State University fraternity house with a blood-alcohol level of .436 percent.