Hawthorne Heights Guitarist Died From Accidentally Mixing Prescription Drugs

Hawthorne Heights guitarist Casey Calvert died on Nov. 24 as a result of accidentally mixing medications, according to an autopsy report released on Monday.

Calvert, 26, was found dead in the group's tour bus outside the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. as a result of the "acute combined effects of opiate, citalopram and clonazepam intoxication," the report stated. Although his death was ruled accidental, a spokesperson for Washington's chief medical examiner said it was spurred by "substance abuse."

The opiate wasn't specified, while citalopram is an anti-depressant and clonazepam is used to treat seizure disorders and panic attacks. Calvert was known to suffer from depression and was on medication for the problem.

"From the time of the incident, we suspected a possible drug interaction as the cause," said a statement issued by Hawthorne Heights drummer Eron Bucciarelli. "Casey wrestled with depression for as long as we knew him.

"He saw numerous doctors and took an ever-changing array of medicines to get better. He finally had his depression under control."

The band declared that Calvert wasn't a drug abuser when he died, and Bucciarelli reiterated that sentiment in his post-autopsy statement.

"According to the toxicology report, the cause of death was due to a fatal interaction between depression meds, anxiety meds and an opiate... Opiates being mentioned along with the term 'substance abuse,' coupled with 'rock star' stereotypes immediately conjure up images of hard drug use and addiction, which simply couldn't be further from the truth in Casey's instance.

"What the toxicology report doesn't show is that prior to us leaving for tour, Casey had a root canal and was prescribed Vicodin for the pain. Once again, Casey was not involved in anything illegal, nor was he a substance abuser."

Vicodin is an opiate, which is known to be a risk to mix with clonazepam, as they can combine to impair a person's ability to manage his or her airway.