On April 26, 2017, Davis Allen Cripe walked into class at Spring Hill High School in Chapin, South Carolina, like any other day. He was 16 years old, in perfect health, and was not taking any medication. Before the school day ended, he collapsed in front of his classmates. He died an hour later at Palmetto Health Parkridge hospital.
Richland County coroner Gary Watts confirmed that the autopsy found no preexisting heart condition, nor any traces of drugs or alcohol. The official cause was a caffeine-induced cardiac event with probable arrhythmia. In less than two hours, Davis had consumed a large Mountain Dew, a McDonald’s latte, and an energy drink: approximately 470 mg of caffeine in a single sitting. The FDA sets 400 mg as the daily safety threshold for healthy adults. Davis exceeded that limit in minutes, not hours, and his cardiovascular system — still developing — could not withstand the spike.
Watts called a press conference specifically to publicize the case. Davis’s father, Sean Cripe, was present and asked for the story to be told. The coroner was precise: Davis did nothing that seemed dangerous to him. That’s the problem. The amount matters, but the speed at which it is consumed matters just as much or more.
