Harris County Medical Examiner’s office formally announced that the man who died last Friday when his sport utility vehicle collided with a freight train in Houston was the former Houston Rocket/New Jersey Nets/Minnesota Timberwolves’ forward Eddie Griffin.
Officials said that the SUV ignored the railroad warning and went through a railroad crossing barrier before striking the moving train in the 5300 block of Lawndale about 1:30 a.m. Friday.
Eddie Griffin’s vehicle burst into flames on the impact of the collision, burning his body that investigators had to use dental records to confirm his identity.
During his first two years in the NBA with Houston and New Jersey, 25-year old Eddie Griffin had a series of suspensions, court dates and missed practices. In 2003-04, he spent time in the Betty Ford Center for alcohol treatment.