Crime & Safety
Washington weekly drug overdose tracker Aug. 17-21
The Center Square tracks recent drug related deaths in Washington state, providing a weekly summary of overdoses reported by the King County Medical Examiner.
By Andrew Paxton · 2026-08-14T21:52:10.004Z
As our communities confront the profound impacts of substance abuse and homelessness, The Center Square is maintaining a weekly database dedicated to tracking and mapping overdose deaths in an effort to inform the public of the breadth of a problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Washington state ranks in the top of drug deaths per capita.
The Center Square The following is a list of drug related deaths as reported by the King County Medical Examiner. The Center Square does not independently verify this information. The full list can be found here https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dph/health safety/medical examiner/decedents .
Total number of drug related deaths since TCS tracking began May 26: 171
AUG. 17
26 01633: Ashley Lea Urpman 38 years / Female 06/18/2026 Acute combined methadone, methamphetamine, ethanol, hydroxyzine and zonisamide intoxication. The injury occurred at a residence in Maple Valley, and the manner of death was ruled an accident.
26 02180: Sean David Kierstead 45 years / Male 08/15/2026 Respiratory failure, Rhabdomyolysis, encephalopathy, acute kidney injury, hyperkalemia, and aspiration pneumonia, Prolonged downtime, Probable fentanyl intoxication. The injury occurred at a residence in Seattle, and the manner of death was ruled an accident.
AUG. 18
26 02182: Benjamin D. Kerr 48 years / Male 08/14/2026 Acute combined alcohol and drug intoxication, including fentanyl and methamphetamine. The injury occurred at a residence in Seattle, and the manner of death was ruled an accident.
AUG. 19
26 02194: James Eric Hoff 62 years / Male 08/17/2026 Acute combined drug intoxication including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and methadone. The injury occurred at a residence in Auburn, and the manner of death was ruled an accident.
AUG. 20
26 01699: Charles Freeman Christian 68 years / Male 06/22/2026 Acute combined fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine intoxication. The injury occurred at a residence in Seattle, and the manner of death was ruled an accident.
26 02203: Ubah Fiesal Omar 31 years / Female 08/18/2026 Acute combined drug intoxication including fentanyl and methamphetamine. The injury occurred at a residence in Seattle, and the manner of death was ruled an accident.
AUG. 21
No drug deaths reported.
Washington Editor
This story originally appeared on thecentersquare.com https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article b86b4782 b1b8 428c 829c b2331747bb36.html .