SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two Kanawha County women were arrested Friday following one allegedly driving a vehicle after being treated with a naloxone.
Heather Tippett of St. Albans and Desiree Polly of Charleston were arrested leaving Shawnee Park in Dunbar. Polly’s five-year-old son was also in the van Tippett was driving.
West Virginia State Police Sgt. Brian Hammontree said troopers were first called to the park after they received a phone call from Polly.
“While Desiree was out playing in the park with her son, Heather stayed in the van and overdosed on heroin,” he said.
Emergency medical personnel treated Tippett with Narcan, a nasal spray used in a case of an opioid overdose. While at the scene, Hammontree noticed the van the two drove did not have the proper licensing and there was no insurance on the vehicle. Polly was not able to drive because of a DUI conviction.
“We told her she needs to find a way to get her van out of there and someone to pick everybody up,” Hammontree said.
Fearing one of the adults would attempt to drive the van, Hammontree said he and a second trooper stayed close to the park. They saw the van pulling onto State Route 25 with Tippett behind the wheel, holding an unlit cigarette in her mouth.
When troopers pulled behind the vehicle, Tippett almost ran into a mailbox and utility pole.
“We performed field sobriety tests on Heather, who had previously overdosed 40 minutes prior to roughly,” Hammontree said.
According to Hammontree, Tippett was “quite impaired,” and arrested for driving under the influence with a minor. The troopers also arrested Polly for allowing Tippett to drive the vehicle.
Tippett was charged with not having insurance, driving without a license, DUI with a minor, and operation of a vehicle without evidence of registration. Her bond was set at $10,000.
The father of the child picked up the boy.