Tiger Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI early Monday morning. He was discovered behind the wheel of his vehicle with the engine running and a turn signal on. Even, though his vehicle was parked and he was not observed driving by law enforcement officers, he was still arrested. It is important to remember that you can still be arrested for DUI even if you are not actually driving. Here is some more information to keep in mind about Tiger’s DUI arrest and DUIs in general:
- There was no alcohol involved.
- A growing and alarming trend is the significant increase in prescription drug DUIs.
- Some offenders are recreational users who may or may not have a prescription for the drugs they are using.
- Others, like Tiger Woods, are taking prescriptions their physicians have prescribed to them following surgery or for other medical issues. Whether properly prescribed or not, it is illegal to drive under the influence of a prescription drug.
- Tiger Woods appears to have had a combination of four prescribed drugs in his system. A combination of drugs can have a multiplier effect, 3 + 3 = 9. The effects of the drugs can be enhanced by a number of factors, including lack of sleep, stress, empty stomach and other facts. It appears that Tiger Woods’ level of impairment was extremely high.
- Law enforcement body cams and dash cams can make or break the prosecutor’s case. For alcohol, in most states it is illegal to drive at a 0.08% blood alcohol level, regardless of the level of impairment. There is no set limit of prescription drugs that proves impairment. Thus, the body cam and dash cam videos, which are becoming more and more commonly used, are what a jury will weigh most heavily to determine whether the driver is illegally impaired.
- In the past, when DUIs were almost exclusively alcohol related, the vast majority of DUI arrests were in typical drinking and driving hours. Now we are seeing prescription drug DUI arrests at all times of the day and night.
If you are arrested for DUI it is important to contact us as soon as possible. The work that gets done on your case begins the day you come to us. Let the DUI defense attorneys at Hammerschmidt protect your rights and help give you peace of mind.
