Man dead, woman hospitalized in apparent drug overdose at SLO Safe Parking Site
The Safe Parking Site in San Luis Obispo was the scene of a double drug overdose early Monday morning that killed one man and sent a woman to the hospital, San Luis Obispo County officials said.
Emergency crews traveled to the unit the couple was living at the Oklahoma Avenue Safe Parking Site around 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County Administrative Office.
First responders discovered an adult male dead of an apparent drug overdose and an adult female who showed signs of an overdose, the release said. She was transported to a local hospital and treated there, county officials said.
“We are sad to learn of this tragedy at the site,” Jeffrey Al-Mashat, program manager of the Safe Parking Site, said in the release. “Drugs are one of the things guests struggle with as they try to get on their feet, and sadly it appears drugs were a factor in this tragedy.
“We have CAPSLO on site working to assist other residents, as they process this loss of what has become a community on Oklahoma Avenue.”
The San Luis Obispo County sheriff-coroner was investigating the cause of death as of Monday morning, and the names and identities of the people involved were being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.
The death is the second at the site this year.
On Feb. 15, Jorji Coy-Epperly died in a fire after being trapped inside her locked RV.
County looks to add addiction help services
Jeff Al-Mashat, SLO County’s Homeless Services Division program manager, told The Tribune that the county contracts with the nonprofit Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO) to provide case management at the site.
He said the facility is a “low barrier site” that welcomes people who are struggling with addiction who have mental health issues and have a variety of challenges that have led them to experience homelessness — with the goal of helping them to work to overcome them.
“We really try to address those specific issues,” Al-Mashat said. “We have CAPSLO out here, and they’re working closely with the clients on these very issues. (Transitions-Mental Health Association) came out as well to help us today as far as just counseling with people, but they also work with people with addiction and mental illness.”
Al-Mashat said that the county is discussion options for providing “even more connection to addiction treatment services.”
“We spoke this morning as a county to see what we can provide even more than what’s in place,” Al-Mashat said Monday. “We want to up our game to see if we can connect people to other services that may not be available and look at what services are available within the county network where we can get clients to the experts who can help them through these addiction issues.”
Al-Mashat added: “We are aware of the growing addiction issue across the country and here in California. And unfortunately we are not immune to it here in San Luis Obispo County.”
Where to get Naloxone in San Luis Obispo County
Naloxone, also called Narcan, can be used to reverse a drug overdose.
Naloxone is available to anyone in San Luis Obispo County free of charge. Information on how to administer naloxone and where to get it is available at www.naloxonenowslo.org.
The SLO Bangers Syringe Exchange and Overdose Prevention Program offers syringe exchange and naloxone to community members at their walk-in clinics on Monday and Wednesday and by appointment. Call 805-458-0123 for more information.
This story was originally published April 18, 2022 at 11:34 AM.
