SALEM — A man being transported to the Columbiana County Jail Wednesday evening was instead sent to Salem Regional Medical Center for a possible overdose that occurred while he was in transit to the jail.

Police Chief J.T. Panezott confirmed that a man had been transported to the hospital for a possible overdose while being transported “out of an abundance of caution.” Panezott said that because the man was under the hospital’s care the department would be filing charges and would obtain a warrant for his arrest, and that he could not release the man’s name until charges were filed.

Panezott said that the man was one of two taken into custody during a traffic stop, after K-9 Chaz alerted to the presence of a narcotics odor from the vehicle and a subsequent search located drug paraphernalia inside.

While being transported to the jail the man told the transporting officer that he’d eaten something and wasn’t feeling well, and an ambulance was contacted which met the officer at the jail and transported the man. Panezott said that while officers did not see the man eating the substance — later learned to possibly be amphetamines — the transporting officer described the man as “acting funny” and was prepared to administer Narcan. The man remained conscious.

“Our first priority is protection of life, so he was taken by ambulance to the hospital,” said Panezott.

Panezott said that he had not received any updates from the hospital Thursday afternoon. He also said that paraphernalia was seized from the traffic stop which will be sent for lab analysis for potential additional charge.