Meth, Ecstasy factors in tree trimmer’s asphyxiation death
The man who died while trimming a palm tree Jan. 11 in North Las Vegas was intoxicated at the time of his death, according to the Clark County coroner’s office.
Daniel Wynn Smith, 46, had methamphetamine and MDMA — or Ecstasy — in his system when he died, according to information the coroner released Monday. His lifeless body was pulled from a tree in a yard in the 1600 block of Palmer Street, near the intersection of Owens Avenue and Pecos Road.
Smith’s cause of death was asphyxia and chest compression, but the two drugs were “significant factors” in the Las Vegas man’s death, the coroner’s office said. A third significant factor was hardening of arteries.
The coroner ruled Smith’s death an accident.
The North Las Vegas Fire Department responded to another tree trimmer death Dec. 22, less than a quarter of a mile way from the house where Smith was found. Carlos Dye, 49, was trapped in fronds in the 1700 block of James Street and died of suffocation.
Methamphetamine also killed another man who died while trimming a palm tree in April 2009. Carl Barker, 45, died in the 1600 block of East Twain Avenue. Authorities had initially believed he suffocated.
Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber
