Coach Sutton was injured in a car accident as he was driving to the airport for the OSU game against Texas A&M.  (I hate to admit it, but my first inclination after reading the news report was that Eddie was back on the sauce.)  Reports from eyewitnesses said he stumbled to his car before driving away.  The police report says that Coach Sutton veered over the left center line before swerving back into his lane and then ramming an SUV in the rear.  From what we know, which is very little, this information sounds like Coach Sutton may have had something to drink before getting behind the wheel.  Mind you, Coach Sutton did have a drinking problem years ago, probably stemming from the enormous task of being compared to Adolph Rupp.  With the amount of "corn whiskey" available in Kentucky and the expectations to win in the tough SEC every year, it is enough to drive any man to drink.  (I will refrain from any jokes about inbreeding in the state but reserve the right to bring them into a later post.) 

I will say that at Coach Sutton's age, there are many medical conditions which could be the culprit and we should not be quick to judge the man.  It is possible that high blood pressure medication or any number of heart conditions could have caused him to swerve while driving.  For all we really know, he could have just turned his head to look at a hot chick and swerved back into his own lane, not that I would know anything about that. 

Personally, I hope that this accident had a legitimate cause besides alcohol.  Coach Sutton is well known for battling his addiction with alcohol but by all accounts has been sober for years.  We should not revel in the failures of another human being, but we should also not close our eyes to their infirmities.  I should note that a blood sample was taken at the hospital and I am sure we will know very shortly the outcome.  Coach Sutton has been grooming his son to take over the OSU program and it may happen sooner rather than later.  If Eddie is on the sauce again, I hope his family has the ability to talk him into seeking treatment before he has a more serious accident that hurts more than his pride and someone else's SUV.