San Mateo County coroner identifies inmate’s cause of death

REDWOOD CITY – The toxic effects of three medications caused the death of an inmate earlier this year at the Maple Street Correctional Center, according to authorities.

The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office ruled 25-year-old Kyle Harrison’s death an accident and found he died from the “toxic effects of methadone, amitriptyline and gabapentin,” the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday.

Methadone is used to treat opioid use disorder, amitriptyline to treat symptoms of depression and gabapentin to treat various conditions including epilepsy, nerve pain and restless leg syndrome.

Harrison was found unresponsive in a jail housing unit on March 15. Deputies and medical personnel provided life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the correctional facility.

In-custody deaths are investigated by the sheriff’s office, the coroner’s office and the district attorney’s office. The sheriff’s office said it is awaiting the results of the district attorney’s office investigation and will provide an update when it is completed.

Check back for updates.