Family Cancels Martin Autopsy; Funeral Friday : Crash: Cancellation may hinder officials in determining whether additional charges should be filed against driver of pickup truck.

An autopsy on former New York Yankee manager Billy Martin was canceled Tuesday at his family’s request, and a prosecutor said the decision could make it harder to press charges against the driver of the truck in which Martin died.

The Broome County sheriff’s department reported slow progress in investigating the Christmas night accident that killed Martin, 61, and injured the driver, Martin’s long-time friend, William Reedy of Detroit. Sheriff Anthony Ruffo said it would be another day or two before the alcohol level in Reedy’s blood was confirmed through laboratory tests.

Reedy was charged Christmas night with a misdemeanor driving-while-intoxicated charge and faces a fine of up to $1,000 and a year in jail.

“In the observation of the deputy, the driver had been drinking to the point where he was intoxicated,” Ruffo said. “We have to get the results of the blood test.”

Ruffo added that Reedy voluntarily took the blood-alcohol test.

Broome County District Attorney Gerald Mollen said he hoped to persuade Coroner Patrick Ruddy to conduct an autopsy despite the family’s wishes in order to pinpoint the exact cause of Martin’s death.

“I’m hoping that’s not the final decision, to tell you the truth,” Mollen said. “It’s unusual that a coroner would not have an autopsy conducted when cause of death may be a legal question.”

But Ruddy said an autopsy on Martin’s body would reveal little that an external examination did not.

“He died, basically, of a fractured neck,” Ruddy said. “The chest X-ray was reasonably intact, belly was normal, blood count was normal. It’s all in the neck area.”

Mollen said it would be “days, at least” before he decides whether or not to charge Reedy with anything more serious than driving while intoxicated. He said a grand jury would convene next week and one would be in session continuously and could take up the case as soon as the investigation was complete.

Further charges could still be brought against Reedy even if an autopsy was not conducted, Mollen said.

But the absence of an autopsy report could make it difficult for prosecutors to prove in court the exact cause of death should additional charges be filed against Reedy.

A viewing for Martin will be Thursday at the Frank Campbell Funeral Home in New York. Services will be Friday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Authorities say the pickup skidded off an icy road early Monday evening in front of Martin’s 148-acre farm near Binghamton, located about 150 miles northwest of New York City.

Reedy, owner of Reedy’s Bar near Detroit’s Tiger Stadium, suffered a broken hip and possible broken ribs in the accident. He was listed in fair condition Tuesday at the Upstate Medical Center Hospital in Syracuse, where he was transferred after the crash.

Authorities said the two men were not wearing seat belts.

CHRONOLOGY

A look at the managerial career of Billy Martin, who died Monday night in a car crash:

Oct. 11, 1968--Named manager of the Minnesota Twins.

Oct. 13, 1969--Fired as Twin manager after leading club to American League West championship.

Oct. 2, 1970--Named manager of the Detroit Tigers.

Aug. 31, 1973--Suspended for three days for telling pitchers to throw spitballs.

Sept. 2, 1973--Fired as Tiger manager after leading club to 1972 AL East title.

Sept. 8, 1973--Named manager of the Texas Rangers.

July 16, 1974--Suspended for three days and fined for a pair of brush-back incidents against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Oct. 24, 1974--Named AL manager of the year after leading Rangers to second-place finish.

July 21, 1975--Fired as Ranger manager.

Aug. 2, 1975--Named manager of the New York Yankees for the first time.

Oct. 28, 1976--Named AL manager of the year after leading Yankees to their first pennant in 12 years.

May 14, 1977--Fined $2,500 for remarks directed at Yankee owner George Steinbrenner.

June 18, 1977--Involved in dugout altercation in Boston with slugger Reggie Jackson.

Oct. 18, 1977--Leads Yankees to first world championship in 15 years, as they beat the Dodgers in sixth and final World Series game.

July 24, 1978--One day after making the “One’s a born liar, the other’s convicted” comment about Jackson and Steinbrenner, Martin resigns as Yankee manager.

July 29, 1978--Yankees announce that Martin will return to Yankees as manager in 1980.

June 18, 1979--Returns as manager of the Yankees for the second time, replacing Bob Lemon.

Oct. 29, 1979--Fired as Yankee manager.

Feb. 22, 1980--Named manager of the Oakland Athletics.

Nov. 20, 1980--Named AL manager of the year by after leading A’s to second-place finish.

June 1, 1981--Suspended by the AL for one week after bumping umpire Terry Cooney.

Nov. 12, 1981--Named AL manager of the year for the fourth time after leading A’s to AL West title.

Sept. 8, 1982--Fined, along with Fred Stanley and Detroit manager Sparky Anderson, for a controversy involving Rickey Henderson’s attempt to break Lou Brock’s single-season stolen base record.

Oct. 20, 1982--Fired as A’s manager.

Jan. 11, 1983--Named Yankee manager for the third time, replacing Clyde King.

April 30, 1983--Suspended for three games for kicking dirt on umpire Drew Coble.

Sept. 29, 1983--Sued in Philadelphia federal court by umpire Dale Ford for calling Ford a “stone liar” after Ford ejected him from a game in Chicago on July 31. It is the first law suit by an umpire against a manager.

Dec. 16, 1983--Fired as Yankee manager.

April 28, 1985--Named Yankee manager for fourth time, replacing Yogi Berra.

Sept. 21, 1985--Broke an arm during a fistfight with pitcher Ed Whitson at the same Baltimore hotel. The brawl started in the hotel, spilled into the lobby and wound up in a big pileup in the parking lot.

Oct. 27, 1985--Fired as Yankee manager and replaced by Lou Piniella.

Oct. 19, 1987--Named manager of the Yankees for the fifth time, replacing Lou Piniella, who moved to general manager.

June 2, 1988--Suspended for three games for tossing dirt on umpire Dale Scott.

June 23, 1988--Fired as Yankee manager and replaced by Lou Piniella.