Elmhurst police officers responded at 3:00 a.m. Thursday, December 22, 2022 to a report of a vehicle facing the wrong direction on Roosevelt Road near York Street in Elmhurst. According to the Elmhurst Police Department at 3:00 a.m. police officers Kuper and Wiegele were dispatched to Roosevelt Road near York Street for a vehicle stopped facing the wrong direction in the westbound lanes.
Upon arrival, Officer Kuper saw the male driver and female passenger were both unconscious in the front seats. The vehicle had not been involved in a traffic crash.
The officers closed off the lanes with their squad cars and saw evidence that both occupants had overdosed on opiates. Each Elmhurst squad car is equipped with Narcan and additional medical equipment. The officers administered Narcan doses to the man and woman. The man regained consciousness within moments. The female required additional doses and officers provided aid until EMTs arrived. The man and woman were treated, then transported to the hospital by Elmhurst Fire Department paramedics.
These officers did not hesitate to provide care to these two individuals and clearly saved them from this life-threatening emergency situation. Without the quick actions of these two officers, the double threats of fentanyl and impaired driving could have resulted in tragedy yesterday. Great work officers!
— Elmhurst Police Department
Next police officer located powder capsules inside the vehicle. The substance in the capsules tested positive for the presence of the dangerous drug fentanyl. Both the driver and passenger of the vehicle recovered at the hospital and were released. Investigation determined the couple had purchased and ingested the drug in Chicago just before driving on the expressway toward Elmhurst.
The 35 year-old driver was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, and Improper Stopping on Roadway. Additional charges are pending as the investigation continues.
Get updates from The Cardinal ALL NEWS FEEDS on Facebook. Just ‘LIKE’ the ‘Arlington Cardinal Page (become a fan of our page). The updates cover all posts and sub-category posts from The Cardinal — Arlingtoncardinal.com. You can also limit feeds to specific categories. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
Help fund The Cardinal Arlingtoncardinal.com/sponsor