A former college student has returned home nearly eight months after a hazing incident left him severely brain damaged.
Daniel Santulli, 19, was hospitalized last October after allegedly being forced to drink nearly an entire bottle of vodka while pledging the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at the University of Missouri.
The teen arrived unconscious at a hospital in Columbia, Missouri, with a blood alcohol level of .486, according to NBC affiliate KOMU 8.
Any blood alcohol level above .40 is considered “lethal” and can lead to a coma or sudden death, according to American Addiction Centers.
Santulli was later transported to a rehabilitation center near Denver, Colorado, where he spent several months.
Santulli, now back home in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is now blind, has “massive brain damage” and cannot speak or walk, his family’s attorney told KOMU.
The Santulli family has so far spent$2 million in medical bills for the teen’s “around the clock” care, the stationreported in an earlier story.
The family has sued several members of the fraternity and has settled with 23 defendants, including the fraternity.
One fraternity member, Alec Wetzler, is facing criminal charges related to the incident. He was allegedly seen on security cameras giving Santulli and others a “beer bong,” according to KOMU, and has been charged with two misdemeanors for providing alcohol to minors.
Following the incident, the University of Missouri removed its recognition of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, KOMU note.