University Place girl accidentally jabs herself with needle her dad used in fatal overdose

An 11-year-old University Place girl was taken to the hospital Tuesday after jabbing herself with a hypodermic needle while trying to wake up her father, who investigators believe died of a heroin overdose.

The dad, 45, was watching his daughter and 4-year-old twin boys while his wife was gone.

His daughter found him passed out in their bathroom Tuesday morning with a needle in his hand. She accidentally stuck herself with the needle trying to wake up her dad, Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.

Deputies responded to the Hillside Glenn apartments in the 7400 block of 56th Street Court West and watched over the children until their mother arrived home.

The man was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. His daughter was taken to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma to be checked out.

This story was originally published August 28, 2018 at 3:19 PM.