LAKE COUNTY - A Lake County Jail inmate who died June 20 suffered a medical emergency before he was taken to a Merrillville hospital.
The "Times" reports St. John police arrested Highland resident, 37 year-old Matthew Shank, shortly before midnight June 19 and had taken him to the Lake County Jail. He was cleared by medical staff and booked at about 12:45 a.m.
He experienced a medical emergency after he was booked. He received emergency care from jail medical staff and was taken by ambulance to Methodist Southlake.
Shank was pronounced dead at about noon on June 20th at the hospital campus in Merrillville.
He was arrested during a traffic stop in the area of U.S. 41 and West 77th Avenue. He had reportedly rear-ended a vehicle in Crete and left the scene. Shank admitted to it and said he fled because his license was suspended, according to reports.
He allegedly told an officer he had overdosed on heroin about two hours before the traffic stop and a friend administered Naloxone three times before he regained consciousness.
Two uncapped syringes and two small empty glass bottles packaged in a plastic bag were found in the vehicle he was driving.
