Teenage girl nearly killed by alcohol poisoning

4/1/2005

A 17-year-old Ottawa Hills girl nearly died of alcohol poisoning early Monday after she passed out at a party on Wyndhurst Road near Olds Avenue in West Toledo, authorities said.

The girl, whose name was not released but who is a student at Ottawa Hills High School, was treated at Toledo Hospital, where her blood alcohol content was determined to be 0.37 percent, according to Earl Mack of the Ohio Department of Public Safety's investigative unit.

In Ohio, an adult motorist is considered to be legally intoxicated if their blood-alcohol level is at least 0.08 percent. For a juvenile motorist, the level is 0.02 percent, authorities said.

"We see it too often," Mr. Mack said. "The only reason she's not dead is because her mother got her to vomit after they arrived home."

The victim and two friends, ages 16 and 17, went to the party late Sunday. One of the victim's friends drove. At the party, the girls were furnished alcohol. When the victim passed out early Monday, one of her two friends called the victim's mother.

The mother arrived quickly and drove her daughter home, where she made her vomit. But the girl passed out again. The mother then called Ottawa Hills police, who called EMS to take the girl to the hospital.

Authorities are considering criminal charges against the party host and those who furnished drinks to the victim, including furnishing alcohol to a minor, keeping a place where alcohol is served in violation of law, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, selling alcohol illegally, and child endangerment.

The girl will be charged with underage consumption of alcohol and visiting a disorderly place, Mr. Mack said.