Mother overdoses in minivan, strands children on Florida highway

DELTONA, Fla. (CBS12) — The heroin epidemic played out in dramatic fashion on a highway in central Florida.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said a mother overdosed in her minivan, leaving three children all alone on the side of I-4 in Deltona.

Deputies became aware of the situation after one of the children made a heartbreaking call to 911.

"My mom won't wake up and we're on I-4 in the car," said the 12-year-old girl. Another child can be heard screaming in the background.

Deputies rushed to the scene where they found the girl, a seven-year-old boy, and a one-year-old boy in the minivan.

Authorities gave the woman, identified as 28-year-old Tiffany Smith, a dose of Narcan to revive her.

Smith told investigators she started to have back pain while driving to South Carolina. She said she stopped to take some heroin for the pain. That's when she lost consciousness. Smith is in the hospital. Once she's out, she'll be booked at the Volusia County Jail on charges of child neglect.

The children are with their grandmother. Deputies found two dogs in the car. They're now with Volusia County Animal Control.