Autopsies from the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others show that the pilot was not under the influence of substances.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office released the autopsies from the January crash on Friday. It revealed that Ara Zobayan, 50, tested negative for alcohol or drugs. National Transportation and Safety Board investigators are looking into if the weather might have played a factor in the NBA star’s death.
All nine people aboard the aircraft, including Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, died of blunt force trauma. The autopsies go into extensive detail about the nature of the injuries, and a medical examiner concluded that the “injuries are rapidly if not instantly fatal.”
The group was traveling to a youth basketball game when the helicopter suddenly crashed in Calabasas, California. Also among those killed were Gianna’s teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester. Altobelli’s parents, John and Keri Altobelli, and Chester’s mother, Sarah Chester, also died in the crash. Audio from the 911 calls was released in February.
Bryant, a star player for the Los Angeles Lakers, led his team to five championships and won the NBA Finals MVP award twice while being selected to the league All-Star Game 18 times.
