Volusia County

'My mom won't wake up': 12-year-old calls 911 after mom overdoses on I-4, deputies say

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — "My mom won't wake up and we're on I-4 in the car!"

A 12-year-old girl called 911 Thursday night after her mother passed out in the family minivan on I-4 in Volusia County. Also inside the van were also the girl's 7-year-old and 1-year-old brothers and two dogs.

The Sheriff's Office released part of the 911 call and deputy body camera video Friday morning.

"Where are you at?" the dispatcher asked.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said the woman, identified as 28-year-old Tiffany Smith of Deltona, overdosed on heroin. Smith lost consciousness. That's when her daughter called 911. 

The girl, through sobs, replied.

"We're in the grass and we're close to a ditch."

The girl told the dispatcher her mother's foot was on the gas and she didn't know how to put the van in park.

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The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said the woman, identified as 28-year-old Tiffany Smith, of Deltona, overdosed on heroin. Smith lost consciousness. That's when her daughter called 911.

The 911 dispatcher stayed on the phone with the girl until deputies were able to find the minivan. It was on eastbound I-4 at the 114 mile marker .

"I can see him, I can see him!"

SCROLL TO WATCH BODY CAMERA VIDEO

Body camera video shows the minivan on the side of the interstate. It was still on, with the lights illuminating the grass in front of it. A sticker reading "love," with a peace sign for the "o," was stuck on the back. The deputies divided responsibilities over calling animal control to collect the dogs and taking care of the children. The baby, they observed, was still in his car seat.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said the woman, identified as 28-year-old Tiffany Smith of Deltona, overdosed on heroin. Smith lost consciousness. That's when her daughter called 911. 

SLIDESHOW: Pictures show deputies on scene with minivan, ambulance

Paramedics gave Smith a dose of Narcan. Deputies spoke with her when she regained consciousness. They said she told them she was taking her children to South Carolina when she started to have back pain, so she took the heroin for relief. Smith was taken to an area hospital; the Sheriff's Office said she was not booked into jail immediately pending medical treatment.

The children were not injured and were placed with their grandmother. Volusia County Animal Control took the dogs.

Heroin overdose/child neglect arrest 10/31/19

WOMAN LOSES CONSCIOUSNESS ON I-4 AFTER HEROIN OVERDOSE; 3 KIDS IN MINIVAN Three children are safe and a Deltona woman was revived and charged with child neglect Thursday night after she overdosed on heroin, pulled over on Interstate 4 and lost consciousness. Deputies responded to the 114 mile marker on eastbound I-4 around 7 p.m. Thursday after a 12-year-old girl called 911 reporting the incident. Two other children, a 7-year-old boy and a 1-year-old boy, were in the minivan at the time. After 28-year-old Tiffany Smith (DOB 2/1/1991) received a dose of Narcan from paramedics, she told deputies she was on her way to South Carolina with the children when she started to experience back pain. She said she stopped to take some heroin for the pain. The children were not injured and were placed in the custody of their grandmother. Two dogs in the minivan were turned over to Volusia County Animal Control officers. Smith was admitted to AdventHealth Fish Memorial hospital in Orange City, where she was in stable condition. She was not immediately booked at the Volusia County Branch Jail pending treatment at the hospital.

Posted by Volusia Sheriff's Office on Friday, November 1, 2019