South Florida

‘I Just Want To Go To School': Driver Overdoses, Child Cries in Backseat

Authorities say a South Florida woman, who was found unresponsive in the front seat of a van, suffered an apparent overdose with a crying child in tow Monday morning.

Boca Raton Police received as call reporting a small child crying inside a van with a driver, identified as Colleen Nichols, passed out in the front seat. The windows were up and the ignition was off, according to the police report.

Officials say the 4-year-old child wailed "I just want to go to school" from the backseat when deputies arrived on scene. The child told officers that the woman kept falling asleep and would not wake up.

Nichols was treated with Narcan, a life-saving drug that reverses the effects opioid overdoses, and regained consciousness.

The woman told deputies that she had been "under a lot of stress" and "must have blacked out."

Nichols was taken to a nearby hospital for medical clearance, and then was arrested and charged with child neglect.

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