Seven hospitalized after possible exposure to fentanyl

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Seven people including highway patrol officers and first responders were taken to the hospital after showing signs of possible exposure to fentanyl after a car crash incident on the Golden Gate Bridge.
• California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew Barclay said they must have been exposed to a white powdery substance that was reportedly found inside the vehicle.
• The bridge incident involved an intoxicated driver who stopped his vehicle on the bridge blocking all traffic and was believed to be carrying a controlled substance. 

Following attempts to help the driver of a car that crashed on the Golden Gate Bridge, seven people were hospitalized for suspected fentanyl exposure.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew Barclay said they received calls around 11:45 a.m. about a drunk driver who had collided with a movable median barrier at the bridge toll area before stopping on the south end of the bridge, blocking all traffic in the lane.

According to Barclay, one of the officers responding to the call who first tended to the unconscious driver started showing signs of possible exposure to “a white powdery substance.” The substance was believed to be fentanyl found inside the car and quickly made the officer incapacitated.

Two others on the scene- a second highway patrol officer and a tow truck driver- who tried to help the first officer out of the car, also began exhibiting symptoms of fentanyl exposure.

Ambulances immediately arrived where the officers including the driver of the car were treated with Narcan, a nasal spray that counters the impacts of drugs and prevents overdoses.  

Authorities said that the officers and first responders may have been exposed through contact with the driver and his vehicle.

Four highway patrol officers, a Golden Gate Bridge patrol officer, a tow-truck driver and the car’s driver were immediately rushed to Marin General Hospital for further treatment and monitoring. 

So far, all seven were believed to be in stable condition and are recovering.

Investigations are ongoing with the crime scene also declared a hazardous materials scene.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is considered 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Its effects include drowsiness, confusion, nausea and breathing problems. 

Source: New York Post