Four dead from drug overdoses in one day span in same Midlands county, SC cops say

One Midlands county has experienced a spike in drug overdoses, including several with deadly consequences.

In a 24-hour span last week, between Thursday and Friday, 11 overdoses were reported in Kershaw County, according to the sheriff’s office. Of those, four were deadly, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

The four overdose victims who died have not been publicly identified by the Kershaw County Coroner’s Office.

Most of the overdoses involved crack and powder cocaine containing what is suspected to be fentanyl, according to the release.

Fentanyl was made to be a pain-relieving drug. The synthetic opiod is also about 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The Drug Enforcement Administration previously said because of its “potency and low cost, drug dealers have been mixing fentanyl with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction.”

More than 100,000 deaths from overdoses were reported in the U.S. in 2021, and 71,000-plus involved fentanyl, according to the CDC.

Although deputies in the drug units of the sheriff’s office have made multiple searches and arrests in response to last week’s overdoses, they have been unable to determine the source of the deadly drugs, according to the release.

“We always tell citizens not to sell or use illegal drugs,” Sheriff Lee Boan said in the release. “We are making the same request now. People are dying. JUST SAY NO!!!”

Information about the number of overdoses — and related deaths — reported in Kershaw County this year was not available.

Along with the coroner’s office, the sheriff’s office has investigated the overdoses with assistance from the Camden Police Department, Kershaw County EMS, Kershaw County Fire Service, and Kershaw Health ER.

To report drug use or distribution, contact CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

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