The witness called police, who responded to the scene and administered Narcan to revive the victim.
A man was indicted Thursday after a grand jury found he abandoned a man who had overdosed on heroin and needed help.
A witness spotted Peter Baron Jr., 35, get out of his car on Bartram Road in Evesham around 11 a.m. on Oct. 17, 2017, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said in a statement.
Baron allegedly carried the man who had overdosed to the foyer of a home before fleeing, without calling for medical attention.
The witness contacted Evesham Township Police, whose officers showed up and revived the victim with multiple doses of Narcan, the opioid overdose remedy.
“Remember this phrase: ‘Don’t run, call 911,'” Coffina said. “There is no acceptable reason for anyone who witnesses an overdose to fail to seek help for the person who is suffering. The victim in this case was extremely fortunate that police were alerted and effectively utilized their training to save his life.”
Under the 2013 Overdose Prevention Act, also known as the Good Samaritan law, people who call 911 to report overdoses are immune from arrest and prosecution for drug possession or usage. The law also protects someone who calls about their own overdose.
An arraignment was being scheduled for Baron in Burlington County Superior Court.
Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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