VANDERGRIFT, Pa. -- The Westmoreland County coroner is awaiting results of toxicology tests as part of the investigation into what his office is labeling a suspicious death.

Samantha Scheuring, 16, was found dead at an apartment on Longfellow Street in Vandergrift at about midnight on Monday, according to the coroner's office.

Police said Scheuring was unresponsive when police and paramedics arrived and was declared dead at the scene.

The coroner confirmed that authorities are looking into whether drugs or alcohol played a role.

Although the coroner has yet to rule a cause of death, her family said they heard she was drinking heavily at a party and suspect she may have died from alcohol poisoning.

“She just drank herself to death, and I don't want to see that happen to anybody else,” said Richelle Scheuring, the victim’s sister. “I hope people know now after seeing this that drinking isn't, you know, the best thing to do to have fun.”

Police said they're working with the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office detectives on the investigation.

Scheuring was a student at Kiski Area High School, where counselors have been in crisis intervention mode throughout the day.

"I just saw a lot of sadness today," said one student. "There's a lot of kids walking around not too happy. It's just kind of a sad day for everybody."

Scheuring’s family said they were trying to remember the good times.

“Everybody loved Sam. She was always the one who was there for everybody through everything,” said Richelle Scheuring.

---

Related Links:
More County News

Get RSS | E-Mail Alerts

---