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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Keith Sutton
Hothead Technologies, Inc.
1-678-870-1136
ksutton@hotheadsports.com
www.hotheadsports.com
LMPD to Investigate PRP Football Player's Death
By Connie Leonard - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The tragic heat-related death of a Pleasure Ridge Park High football player will now be investigated by Louisville Metro Police. As the PRP players resumed practice Thursday afternoon, Commonwealth Attorney Dave Stengel told WAVE 3 it is necessary to check out the stories of people who claim they saw what happened the day Max Gilpin collapsed to determine if anything criminal was involved.
Stengel tells Wave 3 News he has no reason to believe anything criminal happened, but he says there are different versions of the story. He adds if nothing else, the investigation will clear the people involved and put the rumors to rest.
"We investigate things that look peculiar," said Stengel who told WAVE 3 his office is looking into the death of 15-year-old Max Gilpin because of witnesses claims that coaches allegedly had players running and refused to give them water just before Max collapsed.
"People have a tendency to say things to the press or to somebody else differently than when somebody with a badge shows up and says now, exactly what did you hear," he said.
Many people questioned the situation after finding out not one, but two players suffered heat related complications. Stengel was curious why an autopsy was not performed.
"I heard there was not an autopsy and it raised a question in my mind because it's an accidental death and most of those are investigated," Stengel said.
Stengel found out Deputy Coroner Sam Weakley had good reason not to conduct an autopsy. Weakley told WAVE 3 the family did not want it and the doctors findings from Kosair Children's Hospital clearly showed Max died of heat stroke. According to Weakley, when Max arrived at the hospital his temperature was 107 degrees and that quickly caused his organs to fail.
As all Jefferson County teams hit the practice field again in hot temperatures, keeping players cool stays on the mind of every coach. Manual High football coach Joe Nichols says area coaches also have the PRP football family on their mind.
"I just feel sorry for the family," Nichols said. "I think of my kids at home anytime a kid is taken no matter what the cause."
In addition to the Metro Police investigation, JCPS is also doing its own investigation. A district representative was present at PRP's practice Thursday and JCPS spokeswoman Lauren Roberts tells WAVE 3 the coaching staff is going above and beyond its duty to keep the student athletes cool in the hot weather.
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ABOUT HOTHEAD TECHNOLOGIES, INC. - Hothead Technologies™, Inc., is an Atlanta based company offering a patented and proprietary monitoring solution termed the Heat Observation Technology™ (H.O.T.) system. It aids in the prevention of heat-related illness in athletes. Within the upcoming years, Hothead Technologies will target additional segments that use biosensor technologies such as public safety, military, industrial, and other markets. The Hothead Technologies, Hothead Sports, Heat Observation Technology (H.O.T.), Hothead Technologies logo and Hothead Sports logo are trademarks of Hothead Technologies, Inc. Hothead is a registered trademark of Hothead Technologies, Inc.
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contact our office at 678-870-1136.
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