SANFORD, Fla. — The death of Ray Lewis III last month was ruled accidental and due to a lethal combination of drugs in his system, an investigator with the coroner’s office in a Central Florida county said on Saturday.
The 28-year-old son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis was found unconscious at his Central Florida home on June 14. Life-saving efforts were unsuccessful and Lewis III died at an area hospital.
An investigator with the Seminole County Medical Examiner’s Office on Saturday told The Baltimore Sun that Lewis III’s cause of death was accidental and due to a mix of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Death of Ray Lewis III, son of former Ravens linebacker, ruled accidental and due to lethal mix of drugs https://t.co/1pOcLZ4G7S
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) July 29, 2023
A full autopsy report was pending, the investigator told the newspaper.
According to the Casselberry Police Department, Lewis III, died after officers found him unconscious in a bedroom, ESPN reported. A person in the residence was attempting CPR on Lewis when an officer arrived, according to the cable sports network.
The officer administered the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone using Narcan, WFTV reported, citing the police report.
“The evidence and witness accounts show this incident to be a tragic accident,” police said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.
Lewis III played high school football at Lake Mary Preparatory School in the Central Florida city of Lake Mary, according to WFTV. He was a running back who gained 5,283 yards and scored 53 touchdowns in three seasons, USA Today reported.
Lewis III played on the practice squad at his father’s college alma mater, the University of Miami. He eventually transferred to Coastal Carolina and then to Virginia Union, according to the newspaper.
At Coastal Carolina, Lewis played 12 games at cornerback with 19 tackles, ESPN reported. At Virginia Union he made 37 tackles in 2017, according to USA Today.
While at Coastal Carolina, Lewis III was accused of criminal sexual conduct after the 2016 season but the charges were later dropped, Sports Illustrated reported.
Lewis III’s father, Ray Lewis, was a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Baltimore Ravens. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
