Woman Dies at Coachella After Apparent Overdose

By: Ben Westhoff, Andrea Domanick and Kai Flanders
A Coachella attendee named Kimchi Truong apparently overdosed on drugs and/or alcohol Saturday, collapsing at a show in the festival's taxi area.

She received treatment at an aid station on the grounds, and was taken to JFK Memorial Hospital, before being transferred to Palm Springs' Desert Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead yesterday. Truong was 24, and a resident of Oakland.

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The toxicology report results will not be known for four weeks. The sheriff-coroner's office is currently investigating the death.

Though deaths have been common at electronic music festivals in recent years, Coachella has reported only one: In 2008, Benjamin Muller, of Mesa, California, was found unconscious camping outside the festival grounds and died shortly thereafter, on April 28, 2008. The cause of death was determined to be a drug overdose.

Concerning Truong, Goldenvoice has released this statement:

Last weekend, a festival attendee suffered an apparent drug overdose. The individual was seen by on-site medical staff and later transferred to JFK Memorial Hospital and later to Desert Regional Medical Center. We are saddened to learn the individual has died. We believe this to be an unfortunate but isolated incident. Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, some of her friends have been reluctant to speak with media.

This story is being constantly updated.

“Looks like you already have your story,” wrote Steve Deen, a friend of the deceased, to Desert Sun reporter Colin Atagi on Twitter.

Lynna Choi, who appears to have known Truong, wrote on Twitter: “Fucking vultures. Here's your quote, 'Go fuck yourselves.'”

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