Baltimore DPW worker died of heat-related causes, death accidental, autopsy confirms
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Department of Public Works worker Ronald Silver II died of heat-related causes while working in extreme temperatures last month, an autopsy report confirmed. The manner of death was ruled as accidental.
Silver suffered from asthma, but extreme heat and a high body temperature, or hyperthermia, is what ultimately killed him, the autopsy report revealed.
The Medical Examiner's Office said Silver's body overheated while he was working on August 2, when temperatures approached 100 degrees.
Mother's emotional plea
Faith Johnson, Silver's mother, wiped back tears recently as she spoke about her son at one of several news conferences.
"This has been a horrific last 30 days for our family," Johnson told reporters last week. "He was so beloved."
The medical examiner could only complete an external autopsy due to religious objections from the family.
Asthma diagnosis
The autopsy report noted Silver had asthma, with his last attack in 2022.
"Given the limitations of an external examination only, the determination as to whether any other factors played a role in the death of the decedent could not be determined," the autopsy stated.
Despite that, the medical examiner found, "…given his reported complaints with altered mentation, muscle rigidity, leg cramps, dehydration and asking for water poured on him while being outdoors…is consistent with the death being heat-related."
The family's attorney demanded the city take action to better protect workers.
"What happened that day wasn't supposed to happen," attorney Thiru Vignarajah said. "Why did he stumble from the truck to a stranger's house begging for water? Where was DPW and his colleagues?"
Prior warnings
Silver's death came after warnings from the city's inspector general, reported by WJZ weeks before the tragedy, that some DPW facilities lacked air conditioning and cold water for workers.
Silver's family has vowed to get justice so this does not happen to anyone else.
"This was someone stolen from our lives at the hands of Baltimore City who refused to give us the answers we asked for on a daily basis," Silver's aunt told reporters last week.
The city has hired an outside law firm to look into the death. Its recommendations are expected later this month.
DPW has since initiated a plan for keeping work crews cooler during times of extreme heat.
