Wednesday, April 27th, just after 6:00pm, Galesburg Police responded to the 1000 block of West Berrien Street in reference to an overdose. Officers met with a female who said she discovered two young children – a four year old and a one year old – were playing in the street unsupervised. Neither child had shoes on, and the one-year old didn’t have a diaper on, which the neighbor provided one. The four-year old directed the woman over to their home where she discovered a man passed out in the driver’s seat of a truck parked in the garage. Galesburg Fire Personnel arrived and administered a dose of Narcan for 21-year old Austyn Lee Derham of Galesburg. Derham was transported to OSF St. Mary’s Medical Center. Police spoke with the children’s mother and with Derham’s mother who both admitted that he is a drug user. Derham was eventually transported to the Knox County Jail. The children were later released to their mother. Later, Derham denied using any drugs other than smoking cannabis. He was charged with two counts of Endangering the Life and Health of a Child. DCFS was contacted to conduct an investigation.
