Woman brought to ER by Redskins player died of accidental fentanyl overdose

The 21-year-old woman who was brought unconscious to a Loudoun County emergency room by Washington Redskins player Montae Nicholson and a friend in November died from an accidental overdose of the drug fentanyl, according to an autopsy.

A Virginia medical examiner determined that Julia Crabbe, of Reston, Virginia, died on Nov. 14, 2019, after ingesting the synthetic opioid pain reliever, which the National Institute on Drug Abuse says is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and highly addictive.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office told WTOP the investigation into the circumstances surrounding how Crabbe got the fentanyl is ongoing. No charges have been filed in connection with the case.

According to an earlier search warrant and interviews, Crabbe was at Nicholson’s Ashburn home with other friends.

She went to an upstairs bathroom and collapsed.

Nobody in the home dialed 911, according to the sheriff’s office. Nicholson and a male friend drove Crabbe to the Inova Emergency Room-Ashburn HealthPlex after 1:30 a.m., where hospital employees described her as “unconscious and unresponsive.”

A search of the home turned up pills, marijuana and foil with residue on it. It is unclear to whom the drugs belonged.

Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a reporter at WTOP since 1997. Through the years, Neal has covered many of the crimes and trials that have gripped the region. Neal's been pleased to receive awards over the years for hard news, feature reporting, use of sound and sports.

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