Christiansburg ovedoses may have resulted from fentanyl consumption

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (WDBJ7) — The Christiansburg Police Department has responded to three overdoses, one of which was fatal, within the past 24 hours, according to a statement from the Town of Christiansburg.

All of the incidents appeared to be accidental, according to the statement. Preliminary information indicated that the overdoses may involve people abusing what they believed to be Oxycontin but was actually fentanyl pressed into the form of pills with markings that mimic 30-milligram Oxycontin pills.

The exact details on the overdoses have not not yet confirmed, however, initial details were released to WDBJ7 “so the community will be aware that it has become more common for distributors of illegal narcotics to substitute fentanyl for other drugs, leading the user to take a far stronger dose than expected, which in turn dramatically increases the chances of accidentally overdosing,” the statement read.

At approximately 10:45 p.m. on Friday, members of the Christiansburg Police Department and Christiansburg Rescue responded to a residence on Montague Street, where Christopher Allen Zirkle, 27, of Christiansburg, was found unresponsive. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. While an exact cause of death will not be known until an autopsy is completed, preliminary investigation indicated that there may be a connection between the three overdoses.

The other two overdoses both occurred at a home on Stone Street, one on Friday, and the second on Saturday. The victim of the overdose that occurred on Friday was revived with Narcan and was transported to LewisGale Hospital Montgomery.

No additional information is being released at this time regarding that individual’s condition. The victim of the second overdose at the Stone Street address was transported to the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center and has since been released, according to the statement.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Christiansburg Police Department tip line at (540) 382-4084. Tips may be submitted anonymously.

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