Police: Teen may have overdosed on ecstasy

A 17-year-old boy found unconscious in his pickup Monday may have overdosed on ecstasy, according to police.

Deputy Jimmy Surratt said police were called to the Safari Mobile Home Park off Hot Springs Road about 3:30 p.m. on a report of a non-responsive teen having seizures.

When Surratt arrived, the boy was lying in a dirt parking lot with family around him.

His mother had apparently seen his truck parked oddly and when she looked inside, she found him unconscious in the extended portion of the cab.

Family removed him from the vehicle and tried to revive him while rescuers were en route.

Sheriff Ken Furlong said that by 5 p.m. the teen was conscious and speaking to investigators. He allegedly revealed he'd taken ecstasy, a street drug chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline.

In high doses, ecstasy can interfere with the body's ability to regulate temperature. On rare but unpredictable occasions, this can lead to a sharp increase in body temperature, which can result in liver, kidney and heart failure, seizures or death, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Furlong said it's not uncommon for officers to come across ecstasy, common at "raves" or all-night dance parties frequented by teens and young adults. .

"We regularly come across situations involving ecstasy," said Furlong. "We often intercept in its pill form during arrests."