The Garfield County Coroner’s office investigated more deaths last year than in 2015.
The coroner will present the findings to county commissioners at Monday’s regular weekly meeting.
The Coroner’s office investigated 40 accidental deaths in 2016, more than double 2015. The coroner states drugs or alcohol proved a “significant factor” in over half those deaths.
In 2016, there were 12 suicides in the county, which is comparable to 2015, however, more of the people who took their own lives in 2016 were residents of Garfield County.
The coroner doesn’t investigate every death. It’s estimated more than 300 deaths occurred in the county last year. The coroner investigated 126. Most were white males over the age of 60.
