New Details of Roy Halladay's Plane Crash Are Extremely Depressing

When former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay was killed in an airplane crash in late 2017, we lost one of the greatest pitchers of the new millennium at the tragically early age of 40.

AP reporter Mike Sisak recently unearthed new details about Halladay's behavior during his final weeks and moments, and they show that he was clearly not in the condition to be flying a plane, given the mix of opiods in his system at the time of his crash.

Some tough details in new NTSB docket on baseball great Roy Halladay's fatal 2017 plane crash. Per his doctor, he battled chronic back pain, depression & insomnia and went to rehab in '13 & '15 for opioid, benzodiazepine misuse. Several drugs were in his system at time of crash.
— Mike Sisak (@mikesisak) April 15, 2020

Halladay had been prescribed the opioids for back pain. He was also suffering from depression and insomnia.

This confirms a 2018 autopsy report that stated Halladay had a sleeping aid, as well as an amphetamine, in his system. Reports also claim that Halladay was doing stunts in his plane while inebriated, which ultimately led to his death.

Halladay was one of the premier pitchers of his era, making eight All-Star teams while finishing in the top five in Cy Young voting seven times, and winning the award twice. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019, the first posthumous inductee elected by the BBWAA since Roberto Clemente.

Here is the AP story on the newly released investigative report: https://t.co/bsue62LGL3
— Mike Sisak (@mikesisak) April 15, 2020

While these latest details are certainly a sobering reminder of Halladay's state of mind during his final moments, that doesn't make his tragic passing any less sudden or shocking.