Two who overdosed on heroin released from hospital
Two people were released from the hospital after suffering a heroin overdose at a large motocross event in Osage County over the weekend.
Taylor Cundiff, 23, and Quentin Tinsley, 22 are charged with class B felony distribution of a controlled substance. Nakia Lewis, 28, and Christopher Mitchell, 23, have been charged with possession of a controlled substance. The four were found either using or selling heroin at the event where two others had overdosed.
Osage County Sheriff Michael Dixon said, “You know, we always want to see those types of events in Osage County and we welcome them but when it turns to the criminal element and we see these types of situations unfold and we are seeing people get sick from heroin or other substances it’s very concerning”.
Sunday afternoon, police got a 911 call that two people had overdosed from heroin while attending a motocross event at 445 Loaiza Dairy Lane in Westphalia. The woman was airlifted and male was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
“I do believe that both of the patients have been released from the hospital”, said Sheriff Dixon.
Osage Ambulance District officials said seeing a heroin overdose in Osage County is a rarity.
District Administrator Joshua Krull said, “Our ambulance district covers about 75% of Osage County and we only have two documented cases of known heroin overdoses in the past five years so it’s not very prevalent in our county.”
He said, ” We typically see things like the synthetic marijuana, k2, a few cases of people huffing aerosol cans and then of course the methamphetamine problem that we battle.”
Osage County Prosecutor Amanda Grellner released the charges Monday. Sheriff Dixon said heroin overdoses might happen more often in Franklin and Pulaski counties, but not as often in Osage County.
“You’re going to see a lot of indicators such as overdoses and things like that unfold and for us in Osage County it’s a rarity,” said Dixon.
Sheriff Dixon also said the organizers for the event were extremely helpful in the investigation and that they said they were sad something like this took place at a family function.
