WESTFIELD–A hit-and-run accident that happened in front of an off-duty Westfield police officer led to the arrest of a Westfield woman on multiple drug possession charges.
Elizabeth L. Darling, 34, of Westfield, was arrested on Saturday, around 4 p.m., after she allegedly hit a parked car in a driveway, then drove off.
An off-duty officer witnessed the accident and proceeded to follow the vehicle Darling was driving, which the officer said was “all over the place,” according to police.
Police stopped Darling at JJ’s Variety Store on Montgomery Rd. and found that Darling had several pills, as well as heroin, in her possession that were allegedly in an ibuprofen bottle. Among the pills in the bottle were reportedly Klonipin, Flexeril, morphine, oxycodone and amphetamine which are only obtained with a prescription. Police were able to ID the pills through Baystate Noble Hospital with a drug identification guide at the hospital.
While at the variety store, a good Samaritan attempted to assist Darling, the police report said. At one point, Darling was reportedly in the back seat of the person’s car who was attempting to help her and had allegedly left 28 bags of heroin, seven of which were empty, a bloody alcohol wipe and a capped hypodermic needle in the vehicle. Police were informed of this by the person and police confiscated the material.
As for the pills allegedly in Darling’s possession, they were without a prescription, according to police. If a prescription is not present, then police can charge with illegal possession.
Westfield Police reported that Darling is a nurse, and a search on the mass.gov Health and Human Services website showed an “Elizabeth L. Darling” from Westfield as a registered nurse for the state. Police did not specify if the drugs were gained through Darling’s job or through patients, and they also did not report an employer.
Darling was charged with leaving the scene of property damage, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, two counts of possession of a class A substance (heroin and morphine), three counts of possession of a class E substance (Flexiril, Klonopin and Zofran) and two counts of possession of a class B substance (amphetamine and oxycodone).
