Mom Has Drug Overdose With Baby in the Backseat
A woman in Hope, Indiana, was charged with child neglect and possession of drug paraphernalia Saturday after police discovered her passed out from an overdose while her baby cried in the backseat of the car.
Erika Hurt, 25, was unresponsive when police found her with a syringe still in her hand at a Dollar General store parking lot. After being revived with Narcan, she was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital, where she was later arrested.
"Parents are doing this more often with children in the car because they are doing it away from someone who is going to disapprove," marshal Matthew Tallent told IndyStar. "This is becoming a new norm for drug users."
Within minutes of Hurt and her 10-month-old son being discovered by the police, child welfare officials were called to the scene. The baby boy is currently in the care of Hurt’s mother, Jami Smith, who revealed her daughter had been released from rehab earlier this month.
"This was a mistake," she told Fox." 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."
She also expressed her belief that police should not have released the photo of her daughter and instead should have "kept it as evidence." However, Tallant argued that he hoped it would be "educational" in showing how destructive and scary addiction can be.
"My intention with these photos is not to shame the mother, although I realize it may appear embarrassing," he told Fox." I honestly think this picture should be used as an educational tool because I want people to see what this drug is doing."
Hurt is currently being held at Bartholomew County Jail due to a probation violation. It is unclear at this time if she has retained a lawyer.
Additional reporting from the Associated Press.
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