Death of woman who took drugs at Electric Daisy Carnival ruled accidental
The death of a 22-year-old Arizona woman who fell from her Strip hotel room after taking drugs at the Electric Daisy Carnival was ruled an accident.
Emily McCaughan had traces of Ecstasy, methamphetamine and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in her system, according to toxicology reports released Tuesday.
McCaughan, a pre-med student at the University of Arizona, fell more than 20 stories from her Circus Circus hotel room to her death June 11, the last night of the three-day music festival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
McCaughan had paranoid delusions earlier in the night and believed someone was chasing her, friends and family reported. The Clark County coroner's office said her death was an accident.
Her family told the Review-Journal that she had taken an MDMA pill, more commonly known as Ecstasy, with a group of five friends, who allowed her to leave the festival by herself.
Ecstasy is a psychoactive drug with stimulant and hallucinogenic properties that can sometimes cause paranoia, although it typically reduces anxiety and produces a sense of euphoria.
Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, typically known as GHB, has been called a "date rape" drug but is sometimes taken to enhance feelings of euphoria.
Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@
reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.
