The Greenville County Coroner's Office in South Carolina has ruled that actress Hayden Panettiere died accidentally from the toxic effects of fentanyl and four other substances. The findings, released September 22, list fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol, and quetiapine as the cause of death, CBS News reported. An autopsy found no signs of trauma.
Panettiere, 36, known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, was pronounced dead August 16 at a residence in Greenville where she had been staying. The ruling closes the coroner's case, but it also highlights a danger public health officials see in thousands of deaths each year: fentanyl combined with other sedating drugs can stop a person's breathing, even when some of those drugs are common prescriptions.
