Medford Police Officers Use Narcan to Save Overdose Victim

– Allison Goldsberry

Medford Police revived a man who overdosed on heroin just one week after officers received Narcan, a commonly used an opioid antagonist.

According to a police press release, it all began when Medford Police officers Jason Montalbano and Frank Cassarino responded to a report of a car accident on Ninth Street during the afternoon on October 24. Police found an unresponsive man in a blue pick-up truck that had struck a parked car and come to a stop on the wrong side of the street behind Kappy’s Liquors.

The truck was still in drive and was running when police responded to the scene. The driver appeared “unconscious and unresponsive.” Police were able to put the vehicle in park. Police say the driver, who was alone, had signs and symptoms of an opiate overdose. Police also found a small bag of a substance they believed to be heroin inside the truck.

Officers Montalbano and Cassarino administered Narcan to the victim to reverse the effects of the heroin overdose. The driver was later transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for examination. He is facing numerous motor vehicle charges, including operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs. Luckily, no one was injured as a result of the accident.