Roy Halladay had mix of medications in his system at time of fatal plane crash

Former Phils star and Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay had a mix of medications in his system at the time of his death.

That’s the headline grabbing everyone’s attention this morning, after the Pinellas County Medical Examiner released the results of the future Hall of Famer’s autopsy on Friday.

According to the report, trace amounts of amphetamines, as well as morphine and a sleeping drug were in his system at the time of his death. Halladay perished when the sport plane he was flying crashed into the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico back in November. The autopsy stated Halladay died of blunt force trauma, and that drowning “was a factor” in his death as well.

According to the New York Daily News, large quantities — 72 ng/mL — of Zolpidem, a drug used to treat insomnia, were also found in the former MLB player’s system. On its website, the FDA says 50 ng/ml of Zolpidem “appears capable of impairing driving to a degree that increases the risk of a motor vehicle accident.”

The report did not indicate how much of those drugs were found in his system, and at this time, it’s unknown whether the drugs in Halladay’s system were prescribed or through some other means.

The 40-year-old right-handed ace was flying his two-seat sport plane off the coast of Florida when it plunged into the waters 10 miles off the coast. Video from boaters near the scene appeared to show Halladay doing steep dives in his sport plane shortly before it crashed.

The autopsy also revealed Halladay had a blood alcohol level of 0.01 in his system. The FAA requires pilots not consume any alcohol within eight hours of flying a plane.

Halladay was a two-time Cy Young Award winner and is one of only two pitchers to throw a no-hitter in a playoff game.