Close X
Monday, November 11, 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

    Arshad Khan, Pakistan's 'Blue-Eyed' Chaiwala Sparks National Soul Searching

    Arshad Khan, Pakistan's 'Blue-Eyed' Chaiwala Sparks National Soul Searching
    A Pakistani tea merchant with velvet eyes saw his life changed this week when his portrait spread around the Internet, sparking ardent debates on class, objectification, and the place of ethnic Pashtuns in society.

    Arshad Khan, Pakistan's 'Blue-Eyed' Chaiwala Sparks National Soul Searching

    Halloween Duct Tape Project: Spider Web Door Sign

    Halloween Duct Tape Project: Spider Web Door Sign
    A Halloween Duct Tape Project Your Kids Will Love!

    Halloween Duct Tape Project: Spider Web Door Sign

    Selfie Viewing On Facebook Linked To Low Self-Esteem

    Selfie Viewing On Facebook Linked To Low Self-Esteem
    If you cannot take your eyes off the innumerable selfies posted on social networking sites like Facebook, take heed.

    Selfie Viewing On Facebook Linked To Low Self-Esteem

    Basketball Star Steve Nash Wants Court To Order Fit Clubs To Stop Using His Name

    VANCOUVER — Former basketball superstar Steve Nash is seeking a court order banning the use of his name or image on nearly two dozen fitness clubs in British Columbia.

    Basketball Star Steve Nash Wants Court To Order Fit Clubs To Stop Using His Name

    Pakistani Chaiwala, Who Became An Overnight Internet Sensation, Lands His First Fashion Job

    Pakistani Chaiwala, Who Became An Overnight Internet Sensation, Lands His First Fashion Job
    The Pakistani chaiwala, who became an overnight Internet sensation, just landed a modelling deal! - More power to social media!

    Pakistani Chaiwala, Who Became An Overnight Internet Sensation, Lands His First Fashion Job

    Watch: Barack Obama Unsure Of Why He Got Nobel Peace Prize

    Watch: Barack Obama Unsure Of Why He Got Nobel Peace Prize
    US President Barack Obama, who was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, has said he is still not sure why the prestigious prize was bestowed on him.

    Watch: Barack Obama Unsure Of Why He Got Nobel Peace Prize