IU student dies during weekend at BSU

IU student Jarrod Polston, 18, of Greenwood, Ind., died Saturday while visiting friends at Ball State University.

Polston drove to BSU with his roommate and friends for the weekend.
Witnesses last saw him at 3 a.m. Saturday morning, said Jim Clevenger, Delaware County Coroner.

His friends found him not breathing hours later in Studebaker West residence hall.
He was pronounced dead at 10:49 a.m. Saturday at Ball Memorial Hospital, Clevenger said.

Polston was drinking alcohol and using methadone, which caused him to vomit and
choke.

Asphyxiation is most likely the cause of death, Clevenger said.

IU sophomore and peer of Polston’s from their high school football team, Bryan Doucey, said Polston was “outgoing and happy.”

“He was the kid you invited over to a get together. He was a character — definitely a character and fun-loving,” Doucey said.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Clevenger said it will be a few weeks until the toxicology results are available.

“The death of any student is a tragedy, especially at such a young age. We at Ball State extend our sympathies to his family and friends at IU,” said Tony Proudfoot, BSU associate vice president for Marketing and Communications.

BSU will be working with local police agencies who are investigating the incident where alcohol was consumed.

From there, disciplinary action will or will not take place, Proudfoot said.

Jarrod Polston’s father Carl Polston said his son was a great student and a great athlete. He was a person people “gravitated” toward.

“It’s not often a parent can look up to their child, and I looked up to him,” Carl Polston said. “There’s nothing I can say that will give him justice.”

— Alyssa Goldman contributed to this report.

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