Close X
Saturday, September 28, 2024
ADVT 
Interesting

Police Release Picture Of Indiana Mom Overdosed On Heroin As An 'Educational Tool'

Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Oct, 2016 01:04 PM
    Authorities in the US state of Indiana has released shocking pictures of a mother found overdosed behind the wheel and her 10-month-old son crying in the back seat to raise awareness about the growing heroin epidemic.
     
    Authorities in the city of Hope released pictures of Erika Hurt, 25, unresponsive behind the wheel of her car on Saturday afternoon in the Dollar Store General parking lot.
     
    Police say when they found Hurt, she had a syringe in her hand, and her 10-month-old son was crying in the back seat.
     
     
    Town Marshal Matthew Tallent says officers revived Hurt and she was taken to the hospital. She was later arrested on charges of child neglect and possession of drug paraphernalia.
     
    Child welfare officials were called to the scene and the baby was turned over to Hurt's mother, Fox59.com reported.
     
    The chilling scene is reminiscent of a horrific image showing two parents passed out at the wheel of their car in East Liverpool, Ohio after taking heroin.
     
     
    A young boy sits in the backseat, seemingly unmoved by his parents' state.
     
    Tallant says the department made the decision to release the photos of Hurt passed out behind the wheel to make people aware that the heroin epidemic is not just a big city problem-it is leaking into small towns like Hope.
     
    "My intention with these photos is not to shame the mother, although I realise it may appear embarrassing. I honestly think this picture should be used as an educational tool because I want people to see what this drug is doing," Tallant said.
     
    Hurt's mother feels no one should have ever seen this picture and police should have kept it as evidence.
     
    "This was a mistake. I do not condone it. Trust me there is nobody that was more angry than me and once she was back up on her feet, before she even went to the hospital she knew how I angry I was," explains Jami Smith, Hurt's mother.
     
    Smith shared that her daughter had been clean for two years and had just gotten out of rehab earlier this month.
     
    This is the second overdose Hope authorities have responded to this year. However, many cities across the state have been tirelessly battling the problem for months.
     
    In just one weekend, authorities responded to over two dozen overdose calls in Bartholomew County and Delaware County.
     
     
    The heroin epidemic is so problematic in Morgan County that the coroner has run out of money for autopsies.
     
    Earlier this month, Preet Bharara, a top US prosecutor warned that opioid abuse in America has reached epidemic proportions with some 30,000 people dying a year from drug overdoses.
     
    In an opinion piece in New York Daily News, Bharara, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, wrote that nearly 80 Americans die from opioid overdoses every day: almost 550 a week, 2,400 a month, 30,000 a year. Thirty thousand lives cut short; 30,000 families devastated; 30,000 communities scarred, every year.

    MORE Interesting ARTICLES

    When A Car Driving Itself Suddenly Needs A Person To Take Over - Will The Person Be Ready?

    When A Car Driving Itself Suddenly Needs A Person To Take Over - Will The Person Be Ready?
    LOS ANGELES — New cars that can steer and brake themselves risk lulling people in the driver's seat into a false sense of security — and even to sleep. One way to keep people alert may be providing distractions that are now illegal.

    When A Car Driving Itself Suddenly Needs A Person To Take Over - Will The Person Be Ready?

    Photographer Annie Leibovitz Remakes Pirelli Calendar: Women Are High Achievers - And Dressed

    Photographer Annie Leibovitz Remakes Pirelli Calendar: Women Are High Achievers - And Dressed
    LONDON — It's no more nudes for the famous Pirelli calendar — this year, at least, with photographer Annie Leibovitz at the helm.

    Photographer Annie Leibovitz Remakes Pirelli Calendar: Women Are High Achievers - And Dressed

    Florida Woman Posts Mouth Taped Dog’s Pic On Facebook, Under Probe

    Florida Woman Posts Mouth Taped Dog’s Pic On Facebook, Under Probe
    The post, that was shared over 300,000 times this weekend, sparked an outcry from animal lovers, criticising Katie Brown who posted the image, nbcnewyork.com reported.

    Florida Woman Posts Mouth Taped Dog’s Pic On Facebook, Under Probe

    Brutal Baboon Battle Erupts For Throne At Toronto Zoo After Matriarch Dies

    Brutal Baboon Battle Erupts For Throne At Toronto Zoo After Matriarch Dies
    After the matriarch died last year, a vicious battle erupted among the female baboons at the Toronto Zoo for her throne that endured for months, prompting a brief closure of the exhibit and providing a fascinating glimpse into the animals' behaviour.

    Brutal Baboon Battle Erupts For Throne At Toronto Zoo After Matriarch Dies

    Aspiring To Retire? Welcome To Agra

    Aspiring To Retire? Welcome To Agra
    As more and more educated youngsters of Agra flee to greener pastures, the Taj city is becoming a haven for retirees, who find the slow pace of life here in tune with their ageing rhythm.

    Aspiring To Retire? Welcome To Agra

    They Grow Up So Fast: Obama's 17-Year-Old Daughter Joins Other Seniors In Scoping Out Colleges

    They Grow Up So Fast: Obama's 17-Year-Old Daughter Joins Other Seniors In Scoping Out Colleges
    WASHINGTON — Michelle Obama's message for high school seniors fretting about their college prospects is simple.

    They Grow Up So Fast: Obama's 17-Year-Old Daughter Joins Other Seniors In Scoping Out Colleges