Pubdate: Thu, 19 Aug 2004
Source: Tullahoma News (TN)
Copyright: The Tullahoma News 2004
Contact: 
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=49033&BRD=1614&PAG=461&dept_id=161
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Website: http://www.tullahomanews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2031
Author: Greg Altum

TOO MANY DRUGS KILLED 2 PERSONS AT BONNAROO

The state medical examiner has officially determined that two deaths that
occurred at this year's Bonnaroo music festival were due to much drug usage.

Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves said he has received from forensic
pathologist Dr. Bruce Levy the official autopsies for Brandon Taylor, 20, of
Lowell, Mich., and Amber Lynn Stevens, 22, Flatwoods, Ky. In both cases,
Graves confirmed, the cause of death was ruled accidental and due to "acute
combined drug toxicity."

"'Too many drugs too soon' is what it stated," Graves said. Taylor was in
the VIP camping area and Ms. Stevens was in the general camping area during
the music and camping festival that took place June 11-13 off New Bushy
Branch Road near Manchester City Limits. Each subject was taken to Medical
Center of Manchester before being pronounced dead.

According to the autopsy reports, drugs found in Ms. Stevens' system were
ketamine, a general anesthetic also used as a painkiller and known as
"Special K"; cocaine; diazepam, a prescription drug normally given for
anxiety attacks and seizures, also known as Valium; oxycodone, a pain killer
available by prescription; and marijuana.

Drugs found in Taylor's system were cocaine, oxycodone, and alprazolam, the
latter of which is prescribed for anxiety and panic disorders and also known
as Xanax.

"Anytime you've got concerts this size, this can happen," Graves said. "You
don't accept it but you know it's a good possibility. It's not too
surprising."

Attendance at the festival was estimated at 90,000 but is still being
disputed. Other, though less serious, matters about Bonnaroo were discussed
at a recent meeting of the county Board of Zoning Appeals at Coffee County
Administrative Plaza.

Zoning administrator Kip Green presented a list of six items to be addressed
if a gathering similar to Bonnaroo is to take place: 1. Accurate totals from
regular tickets as well as "day passes"; 2. Ticket booths must be completely
utilized in order to relieve traffic; 3. Port-A-John numbers and placement
will be according to practical requirements (not minimum requirements from
the state mass-gathering chart) and placement organized as to facilitate no
environmental impact to streams and run-off waters; 4. All streams and
run-off drains will be partitioned off from participants for environmental
and safety issues; 5. One exit must be maintained in order to allow for the
participants to purchase supplies as needed during the time span given in
order to prevent pedestrian traffic overwhelming ingress and egress lanes
for the event; 6. Other comments will be addressed by BZA members as to
access and supervision by county officials.

Four residents from Bushy Branch were at the BZA meeting who had a number of
complaints. Green pointed out, however, he had heard no complaints regarding
noise. Ashley Capps of AC Entertainment, one of the producers of Bonnaroo,
was on hand to address issues.

Capps and others have already scheduled further meetings this year with
local law enforcement and other local officials, Green said.
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