This pregnant woman overdosed — twice in one hour, police say

Police officers in Philadelphia said they had to revive a pregnant woman who overdosed twice within just 45 minutes.

The police officers were patrolling Monday night when a passerby told them of an unconscious pregnant woman, according to WLKY.

The officers, who were with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), gave the woman Narcan, an antidote for opiates, according to WPVI.

It took two doses of Narcan for the woman, who officers believe is around 7 months pregnant, to regain consciousness.

“At that time, the Philadelphia Fire Department came over to the location and she refused their services,” SEPTA Police LT. Michael Fox said to WPVI. “She didn't want to go to the hospital. She didn't want any kind of medical treatment. She got up and left the area.”

But 45 minutes later, the officers again saw the woman passed out on a sidewalk, according to TribLive.

This time, paramedics drove her to a local hospital.

SEPTA chief Thomas J. Nestell III described the incident in a tweet.

This story is just the latest example of the opioid crisis that’s sweeping the nation.

There were 20,101 overdose deaths related to prescription painkillers in 2015, according to data from the American Society of Addiction Medicine, with another 12,990 deaths from heroin overdoses.

President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a “national emergency” in August.

It was hard for the responding officers to see the effects of that crisis up close, Fox said.

"It's devastating, absolutely devastating,” he said. “It's heartbreaking to see this happen. I am a father, I can only think about my own children.

“It's a terrible issue.”

This story was originally published September 19, 2017 at 6:22 AM with the headline "This pregnant woman overdosed — twice in one hour, police say."