A Wyoming woman is recovering after she was allegedly poisoned with antifreeze by a stranger who offered her a free drink on New Year’s Eve.
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According to local media outlet KTBX, the woman, identified as Kailey Kline, was celebrating with friends at the Silver Dollar Bar & Grill in Cody, Wyoming, when she was given the drink just before the bar closed.
Minutes after she arrived home, she began to foam at the mouth and experienced seizures.
Her fiance, Shawn, who had picked her up from the bar, quickly called 911. She was flown to St. Vincent Regional Hospital, which was 100 miles north of Billings, Montana. She spent several days sedated and on a ventilator.
KTVQ reported that doctors caring for Kline believed she had consumed antifreeze on New Year’s Eve. Poison Control states on its website the liquid, which is used for car engines, has a sweet taste due to its ethyl glycol content. This makes it difficult to notice if it is mixed in drinks.
The young mom spent nearly a week in the hospital and was “adamant to walk on her own out of the hospital doors” on Jan. 6.
The Woman’s Mother Said She Remembers Who Gave Her the Poisoned Drink on New Year’s Eve
Despite her memory being impacted by the poisoned beverage, Kline’s mother, Amber Espinoza, said her daughter remembers who gave her the toxic New Year’s Eve drink.
While speaking to Cowboy State Daily, Espinoza said her daughter remembers the stranger and is working with law enforcement to find out what happened.
“She was probably too trusting,” Espinoza explained. “If she was already drinking sweet drinks or fruity drinks, she wouldn’t have tasted [the antifreeze].”
Espinoza, who is a traveling nurse, pointed out that she does not blame the Silver Dollar for what happened. She said this is a hard lesson in not accepting drinks from strangers.
“Without knowing who actually did it, it’s hard to place blame on a business,” Espinoza also noted. “They can’t be 100 percent responsible for their patrons all the time.”
Cody Police Lt. Juston Wead, who is investigating the incident, agreed with Espinoza’s thoughts.
“It’s important to make sure you are aware of your drink because those types of things can happen,” Wead added. “Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know, don’t leave your drink unattended.”
He noted that spiked drinks are not a “major problem” in Cody.