EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW: Snooki Not Responsible For Teen's DWI Death, Says Best Friend
March 22 2010, Published 2:31 p.m. ET
The best friend of the teen killed after a wild party with underage drinking at the home of Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi doesn't blame the Jersey Shore star for his death, he said in an exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com.
Mark Sloan was a pallbearer at the funeral of Michael Truncali, who died in a drunk driving accident after boozing at "Snooki's" house on Thanksgiving Eve in 2004. Watch Sloan’s exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com above.
"I think that after a tragedy of such a sort, people are always looking for an answer as to what happened," said Sloan, in an emotional interview at his home in New York.
"I don't really find that I can blame anyone for it.
"Michael made his own decisions... but I do think things could have been different. I always think, 'What if we didn't go to that party?' It would never have happened."
The Marlboro High School senior died with a blood alcohol level of .18 -- more than twice the legal limit -- when he rolled his Mazda while driving home from the party.
As RadarOnline.com revealed, "Snooki"-- who is about to begin filming the show's second series in Miami -- was criminally charged for selling booze to minors.
The record had been suppressed, because at the time, she was a minor.
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Five years later, the parents of the dead teen have been critical of "Snooki" for "glorifying" alcohol consumption to a national audience.
At the same time, they said they don't blame "Snooki" but have many unanswered questions for her mother, Helen. She was investigated but not charged with a crime, although she was at home while the party took place.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW: RadarOnline.com Attempts To Interview Helen Polizzi
Said Sloan: "Everybody knows people are going to be underage and party.
"I just think that sometimes people should just be a little bit responsible and things like this could not happen."
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On the fateful night in question, Sloan confirmed large amounts of alcohol were present but did not want to comment on where it originated from.
"We heard that this girl, Nicole Polizzi, was going to be having a party and we wound up going," Sloan recalled.
"We hung out with her and her friends, here and there, once every while - and unfortunately what happened, happened"
