Teens Hospitalized with Alcohol Poisoning after Party

Four teens were hospitalized after showing symptoms of alcohol overdose following a big New Year’s Eve party in Morgan County.Morgan County Sheriff Wayne Potter said officers and deputies from multiple local law enforcement agencies drove to a remote property in Oliver Springs at 1:30 a.m. Jan. 1, after receiving reports that two teenage girls had overdosed on cocaine.

Potter said four teens were rushed to the hospital for symptoms of alcohol overdose. As of Friday afternoon, all had been released. Not all the toxicology results are in yet, but Potter said the ones that are in so far only indicate alcohol consumption.

MCSO said about 50 people were at a party on the 1000 block of Cove Lane in Morgan County near Oliver Springs. When the authorities arrived, 15 to 20 people scattered into the woods nearby and another 25 to 30 people were found in an open structure on the property.“Officers immediately noticed that the majority of them were impaired and that there were numerous containers of alcohol also in the structure,” MCSO reported in a news release. Potter said deputies confiscated a “small amount” of marijuana from one male subject, but did not specify his age. Potter said first responders found one 14year-old girl completely incapacitated and one 16year-old boy who appeared disoriented and in “physical distress.” They, along with two other juveniles, were taken to Children’s Hospital and Methodist Medical Center. Over the next several hours, authorities found and detained 30 people for questioning, half of whom were juveniles.

“We are very fortunate that we were able to get there in time to get medical attention to those in need and stop the party before it got any worse,” said Sheriff Potter, adding that the Sheriff’s Office responded to than 35 calls for service New Year’s Eve and early into New Year’s Day.

“We anticipated that we would be very busy during that time period, so we put extra officers on shift. I am pleased that we were able to get there as fast as we did.”

Potter credited successful emergency response to the help of other agencies including law enforcement and firstresponders from other agencies in Morgan County, Coalfield, Oliver Springs, Wartburg and Anderson counties.

Potter said MCSO’s investigation into the incident is ongoing and charges are pending.

“Alcohol, drugs and teenagers can be a deadly combination and with the help of concerned citizens we will do everything we can to stop this dangerous activity in the future,” said Potter.

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