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Former Dallas Cowboy to face trial on fatal drunk-driving incident

By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Testimony is set to begin Monday in the trial of former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent, who is charged with intoxication manslaughter in a 2012 car crash that killed his teammate, Jerry Brown, Jr. Brent, 25, is accused of being drunk when the Mercedes he was driving at a high speed flipped over and then caught fire on a state highway on Dec. 8, 2012. When police arrived, they found Brent dragging Brown, 25, out of the burning car, which was resting on its roof in the middle of the road. Brown, who had been riding in the passenger seat, was pronounced dead at a Dallas hospital a short time later. A police affidavit stated that an officer had smelled alcohol on Brent's breath and found an unopened bottle of cognac inside the vehicle. Brent initially refused a blood sobriety test but was forced to comply after Brown's death. Brent's blood alcohol level was 0.189, according to police documents. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08. Brent was put on leave from the Cowboys after the accident and retired in July, saying he had other priorities in his life more important than football. "I am devastated and filled with grief," Brent said in a statement shortly after the crash. "I will live with this horrific and tragic loss every day for the rest of my life." If convicted, Brent faces two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. (Reporting By Lisa Maria Garza; Editing by Scott Malone and Lisa Von Ahn)