Crime & Safety

Cedar Grove Cops: Possibly Overdosing Man Left At Mountainside Hospital

Police charged a Cedar Grove man with drug offenses after someone dropped off a potentially overdosing adult male at Mountainside Hospital.

CEDAR GROVE, NJ — Police charged a Cedar Grove man with drug offenses after someone dropped off a potentially overdosing adult male at Mountainside Hospital earlier this month, authorities say.

According to the Cedar Grove Police Department, hospital staff contacted officers on Sept. 9 after an adult male was dropped off at the emergency room entrance in cardiac arrest.

A subsequent investigation resulted in the execution of a search warrant at a Bowden Road home and the arrest of a 56-year-old Cedar Grove male on drug-related charges, police said.

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According to Cedar Grove police, the best course of action if someone is overdosing is to call authorities.

“The Overdose Prevention Act allows individuals to report drug overdoses without the fear of being arrested,” police stated in a news release. “The purpose is to encourage victims and witnesses of drug overdoses to seek medical assistance to save lives. Police responding to a drug overdose can provide medical assistance and administer Naloxone (Narcan).”

An arrest resulted in the Sept. 9 incident because police were not summoned to provide medical assistance, authorities stated.

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