The Peoria County Coroner is reporting two suspected drug overdose deaths in the city over the last three days. The 40-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man died about 72-hours apart, from Saturday morning to Tuesday morning.
At 6:50 a.m. a Lincoln woman was found not breathing in the alley between Evans and the 1000 Block of NE Adams Street. Tuesday morning about 7:30 another man was found in the 1800 block of Callender.
Coroner Jamie Harwood says the cases appear unrelated and neither involved trauma, but both people had distinct drug paraphernalia with them and recent needle marks.
Autopsies were inconclusive and toxicology test results will take at least two weeks. But the coroner says the deaths raise concern a particular opioid combination could be sweeping through Peoria. He says it’s most important people have the information if that is the case.
To that end, the Jolt Foundation on NE Adams in Peoria offers fentanyl test strips, Narcan and Narcan training.
Peoria Police and the County Coroner’s offices are investigating.