How did Redwood City street racer overdose?

“As of right now, our investigation has not — nor did the sheriff’s separate investigation show — how exactly Mr. Harrison came into possession of a sufficient amount of prescription drugs to overdose,” he said.

The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office found that Harrison died of the toxic effects of three drugs — methadone, a medication primarily used for treatment of opioid use disorder and pain management; amitriptyline, an antidepressant; and gabapentin, a prescription medication used for a variety of conditions, including nerve pain and seizures.

While all three of the drugs that contributed to Harrison’s death are prescription medications, Wagstaffe said one of the three was not prescribed to him by the jail’s health services, however, he could not reveal which of the drugs it was until the final report is completed.

His office is not certain of precisely how Harrison obtained the drug. Interviews with inmates and prior convictions have revealed that there’s a “bit of a black market” for drugs in the jail, Wagstaffe said.

“We know there are both legal and illegal drugs in our jail,” he said.

Correctional Health Services Director Michael del Rosario did not immediately respond to request for comment on who was responsible for prescribing Harrison’s medications or if all three of the drugs that contributed to his death were prescribed to him via legal pathways.

A June 2 press release from the Sheriff’s Office reiterated the Coroner’s Office findings and said Harrison’s death was “due to the toxic effects of three medications.”

The office cannot comment further until findings from the DA’s Office are received, Communications Director Gretchen Spiker said, however, she emphasized that both investigations are still ongoing.

Harrison was racing then-17-year old Cesar Morales on El Camino Real when Morales T-boned the car carrying Greg Ammen, 44, and Grace Spiridon, 42. Both Greg Ammen and Grace Spiridon were killed in the crash, though, their twin daughters survived the accident.

Morales, a minor at the time of the crime, was found responsible for two counts of vehicular manslaughter — against the objections of the DA, who charged him with two counts of second-degree murder — and sentenced to 90 days of electronic home monitoring. He was released into the custody of his parents in January.

Harrison pleaded no contest to two counts of vehicular manslaughter for his role in the killings and, because he was tried as an adult, was sentenced to eight years in prison. He spoke at the sentencing with genuine remorse, Wagstaffe said.