Fort Wayne woman dies after OWI arrest

I wonder why, with a BAC so high and an admission of drugs being taken along with the alcohol, why this woman wasn't taken to a hospital to have her stomach pumped and get checked out medically?

Drunks have to pay for things they never volunteered to after they're busted that goes beyond court costs and fines. The ambulance ride and the medical treatment should have happened and those costs added to her final bill. It seems to save several hundred dollars this woman who made herself a 'special case' wasn't treated like one and now is dead.

Maybe it was suicide and maybe not. But when a hospital can take extraordinary measures to try saving a dying person then the police should have allowed them to ply their trade on this prisoner. Living people at least have the ability to pay some of their fines and costs back.

If you read the article, it clearly states that everyone with a BAC above .25 goes to the hospital. Obviously this women received care and was medically cleared by an emergency room doctor for jail admission. I guess the doctor, who I assume deals with this often, determined she didn't need her "stomach pumped. For the jail to receive about 19,000 people a year, and not having a death in over two (that's 38,000 people), that seems pretty damn good. Know any towns that have a population of 38,000 people that only have 1 death a year? The fact is that people arrested probably get better medical care than they would ever get for themselves in the street. I don't think people should always be second guessing the police whenthe woman should be held responsible for her lifestyle. Why not blame the doctor who didn't see the warning signs?

You should not assume anything. The article did not state this woman was taken to the hospital. It didstate this was the policy, but was she in fact taken? I bet if I were a family member I would want a lot of questions answered and rightfully so. I am not saying that she didnt deserve to be arrested at all. But being a health care provider myself I feel that everyone deserves to have their medical issues addressed. Drunk or sober!

Let's assume that she was taken to the hospital...as it is policy. Given the fact she died several hours later, did you (as a medical provider) do everything that should have been done? I do think the family should ask a lot of questions. Let's start with this one, if she was that intoxicated, why did they allow her to go to jail? It would seem to me that you could do a better job of providing her care than a buch of people that have hardly any medical background. Who is to blame here? It's always the police and others...but when do the medical providers begin taking some responsibility?

Apu. Here is the whole article linked to this story.

"FORT WAYNE — Authorities say a 41-year-old Fort Wayne woman has died in the Allen County Jail about 15 hours after being arrested on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

The Journal Gazette reports Melissa Kay Weaver was found dead Thursday afternoon on the fourth floor of the jail.

Court documents indicate that Weaver told police she had consumed vodka and taken four prescription pills that were a mix of Tylenol and codeine. Her blood-alcohol level was 0.33 percent.

Indiana's legal limit to drive is 0.08 percent.

Foul play isn't suspected, but the death is under investigation."

No where does it mention anything about .25 BAC for anything. You may have read another article, but the one this page is linked to has nothing about that. So I did read the article friend. No need to be a smart a**.

Ok, I read your Anderson, Indiana article and read the article from the Journal Gazette. I don't think I was being a smart a**, but since you want to go that route, let me explain my frustration with some of your and others comments. By the way, this was what was in the Fort Wayne article.

"Fries said the jail does not accept anyone with a blood-alcohol level of 0.25 percent or higher. Those people are taken to a hospital until a doctor determines they are able to enter the jail."

With that being said, how can you comment that this women who was a "special case" wasn't treated like one and is now dead? Who's fault is that? That comment along with Jane Smith's seem to blame the Police and nobody else. She says that everyone needs their medical issues addressed drunk or sober! She implies that this women wasn't cared for because she died? My point was why isn't the hospital mentioned as somebody who should be held for her death? They knew she was intoxicated..probably knew she took pills; but the medical providers sent her on her way to jail. They don't have to clear her! When The Doctor and the medical care provider (Jane Smith) say they are fine for admission to the jail....then it's assumed they are fine! And when you imply that the police didn't allow the hospital to "ply their trade" on the prisoner you make it seem like the police didn't do their job.

So was I being a smart a**? I don't think so. It's always easy to be the monday morning quarterback and second guess everyone. I just think it's about time that those who involved (medical providers) be held to a higher level. The truth is that A LOT of the hospitals don't want to treat prioners because most of them don't carry insurance. Instead of giving them proper care, they just push them down the way! Anyway, I apologize if I offended you friend.

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/2009110...
read this link, not only do we not know if she was taken to a hospital, my sister was put in a filthy garage and the video at the jail was watched and she was very sick and no one helped her. if you want or need to know anything about melissa you can email me at hatfieldjohn30@yahoo.com