Crime & Safety

Coroner: Clemson Sophomore Died of Alcohol Poisoning

The 19-year-old Mt. Pleasant native had alcohol levels of .267

The death of a 19-year-old Clemson sophomore that shook the campus in November was caused by alcohol poisoning, officials said.

Tyler J. Karolczyk had a blood-alcohol level of .267 at the time of his death, according to Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley.

"This boy was intolerant to alcohol, he wasn't a heavy drinker," Kelley said. "And that's like 3 times the the level of the legal limit."

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Karolczyk had been drinking during a Friday night party at his off-campus aprartment at 116 Smoke Rise Lane in Central and it is unknown how many students were involved, Pickens County Assistant Sheriff Tim Morgan said.

"There's been a lot of block parties there," Morgan said. "The way those houses are all packed in there parties just spill out all over."

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Karolczyk was found unconscious Saturday morning by one of his three roommates.

Morgan said the case remains under investigation and detectives are waiting until students return from winter break to resume questioning.

"We're trying to determine the source of the alcohol," Morgan said. The age of the other students involved is unknown, but Karolczyk was under the legal drinking age which means someone provided him with the alcohol.


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