Medical Mix-up Shocks Oregon Man Declared Dead
In a bewildering turn of events, 23-year-old Tyler Chase from Oregon discovered that he had been mistakenly declared dead after an urn of ashes and a death certificate were sent to his family.
The mix-up occurred on September 11, 2023, when Chase, who had been residing in a recovery program, was erroneously pronounced dead from a drug overdose.
From Street Struggles to Recovery Program
Tyler Chase’s journey involved struggling with substance abuse while living on the streets, remaining out of contact with his family for several years.
However, upon entering a recovery program, he found himself caught up in an unexpected case of mistaken identity.
Baffling Discovery of Deceased Status
Chase’s confusion surfaced in October when he realized that his food assistance benefits were inactive due to his alleged ‘death.’
Seeking assistance from the Department of Human Services, he was met with disbelief from employees who, upon checking records, insisted he was officially deceased.
Urns of Stranger’s Ashes and a Death Certificate Sent to Family
The complexity of the situation deepened when it was revealed that an urn containing a stranger’s ashes and an official death certificate had been dispatched to Tyler Chase’s family.
The mistaken identity arose from a man, believed to have stolen Chase’s wallet at the recovery center, who was identified as the deceased individual in Portland.
Temporary Identification Leads to Misidentification
Medical examiners, using a temporary identification card from the stolen wallet, wrongly identified the deceased as Tyler Chase.
The erroneous report led to the issuance of a death certificate, which, along with the urn, was sent to Chase’s family, creating a bizarre scenario of a living person declared dead.
Regrettable Misidentification and Protocol Changes
The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office expressed regret for the misidentification, attributing it to the deceased person carrying Tyler Chase’s wallet and temporary Oregon driver’s license.
In response to the incident, changes in protocols for pronouncing people dead have been implemented.
Going forward, individuals with temporary state-issued identification must undergo fingerprint verification for positive identification to prevent similar errors.
In summary, Tyler Chase’s unexpected journey from being pronounced dead to realizing the misidentification underscores the need for improved identification protocols to avoid such confusing and distressing situations in the future.
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