Jeffrey sez "CORONER: SKYDIVER WAS IMPAIRED BY DRUGS"
Jeffrey Matthews
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1733/a09.html
Newshawk: Beth2
Pubdate: Sat, 14 Sep 2002
Source: Peoria Journal Star (IL)
Copyright: 2002sPeoria Journal Star
Contact: fo...@pjstar.com
Website: http://pjstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/338
Author: Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
CORONER: SKYDIVER WAS IMPAIRED BY DRUGS
OTTAWA - Twice this year, drugs have been found in the bloodstream of
experienced skydivers who died at Skydive Chicago.
LaSalle County Coroner Jody Bernard released a toxicology report
Wednesday that said marijuana was found in Skydive Chicago instructor
Ronald Passmore Jr.'s system. Passmore severed his aorta by slamming
his chest on the surface of a pond while trying to skim across the
water in a trick parachute landing July 14.
The toxicology report was conducted at St. Louis University Hospital,
where laboratory director Christopher Long said Passmore's blood
contained about double the level of drugs considered an impairment.
"This is serious impairment due to marijuana - cannabis - that would
affect everything you could possibly use to skydive, particularly
reaction time and depth perception," Long said. Passmore was the
second instructor to die at Skydive Chicago and the sixth jumper
overall in the past year. Last October, Bruce Greig of Jacksonville
died and was found to have the drug Ecstasy in his system. Trace
amounts of cocaine and marijuana in Greig's system were not considered
impairments at the time of the accident.
Passmore was a veteran of more than 1,300 jumps.