CU QB Ponder Dies in Crash with BAC Over Legal Limit

A 23-year-old University of Colorado quarterback, Dominiq Ponder, was driving with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when he died in a single-vehicle crash near Boulder on March 1, 2026.

The Boulder County Coroner's autopsy report, released this week, showed Ponder's blood alcohol content at 0.167 grams per 100 milliliters, exceeding Colorado's limit of 0.08. He suffered multiple blunt force injuries in the accident, which occurred around 3 a.m. along Baseline Road in Boulder County. Ponder, driving a 2023 Tesla Model 3, lost control on a right-hand curve, broke through a guardrail, struck an electrical pole and rolled down an embankment before coming to rest on its wheels and catching fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Colorado State Patrol is conducting a comprehensive investigation into factors including speed, impairment and possible distracted driving. Preliminary findings pointed to high speed as a contributor, with the vehicle traveling at an elevated rate when it veered off the road.

Ponder, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Florida, had transferred to Colorado from Bethune-Cookman University in 2024 as a walk-on. He appeared in two games during...