Doctor Confirms Reports

A doctor consulted in the autopsy of Reggie Lewis confirmed that he told the state medical examiner’s office that cocaine could have caused the death of the Boston Celtics captain.

Dr. John Fallon, a pathologist at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, said he had discussed several possible causes of heart scarring - including cocaine use - with Dr. Stanton Kessler, acting state medical examiner at the time.

He stressed, however, that the findings were “totally non-specific” and did not pinpoint cocaine or anything else as the exact cause.

The state’s chief medical examiner said Thursday no one had suggested cocaine use could have contributed to Lewis’ death in 1993.

Massachusetts officials ordered the state police to interview doctors who consulted on the Lewis autopsy.