PORTLAND, Maine — A male was found dead in a tent at a park-and-ride in Portland on Saturday.
The person's body was discovered around 8:30 p.m. in an unhoused encampment at the intersection of Marginal Way and Franklin Street, Maj. Robert Martin with the Portland Police Department told NEWS CENTER Maine.
Martin said the death does not appear to be suspicious and is being investigated as a suspected overdose. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.
This marks the second death of an unhoused person in Portland in less than a week. Another person was found dead at the same park-and-ride on Monday, June 12. That death is also being investigated as a suspected overdose, according to Martin.
The Maine Department of Transportation owns the park-and-ride. The department said it is monitoring the situation.
While the cause of death for these two people has yet to be determined by the medical examiner, drug use has been a concern in the unhoused community, especially for those who are alone and isolated.
According to data from the Portland Police Department, overdoses for January through May of 2023 are higher than any reporting period since before the pandemic.
A total of 222 overdoses and 19 overdose deaths were reported in the past five months, compared to 187 and 18, respectively, in 2022.
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