CHARLESTON, WV (WCHS/CNN) – Police say a 5-year-old girl in West Virginia pricked herself with a dirty syringe she found inside a McDonald’s bathroom Saturday.
The girl picked up the uncapped syringe near the women’s restroom trash can. She was with her mother at the time.
Police say finding needles isn’t rare as the country continues to face an opioid epidemic. Charleston, WV, officers even carry special containers to collect needles while on patrol.
But police say it was shocking to see a child caught up in the drug problems affecting the city.
"This is the first instance that I'm aware that we have a small child stuck in the city. And with the amount of needles coming out into the city, we're fortunate enough this is our only incident,” said Lt. Tony Hazelett with Charleston Police.
The girl was immediately taken to the hospital to be checked out.
Police say there’s no way of knowing who left the needle behind.
Copyright 2018 WCHS via CNN. All rights reserved.
