Ohio residents may recall hearing about golf champion Tiger Woods being taken into custody in May on suspicion of driving under the influence. A toxicology report indicates that there were five drugs in his system at the time of his arrest, including prescription pain killers and sleep aids.
At the time of his arrest, Woods made a statement claiming that he had been under the influence of prescription medications and not alcohol. He was found asleep at the wheel of his car in the middle of a highway in Jupiter, Florida on May 29. Police officers said he seemed confused when they asked him questions, and he failed roadside sobriety tests.
The sheriff’s office toxicology report indicates the drugs in his system at the time he was arrested were the sleep medication Ambien, opioid pain medications Vicodin and Dilaudid, the anxiety medication Xanax and the active ingredient in marijuana, THC. Woods said in a statement that he had been trying to manage his medications without help from a medical professional, but that he realized that this was a mistake and was going to get help from his doctors. He then tweeted on July 3 that he had completed his treatment.
Driving under the influence or operating a vehicle impaired as it is also called, does not just mean drunk driving. It is against the law to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of many types of drugs. Having a doctor’s prescription for a medication is not an excuse for driving under its influence, but DUI or OVI charges can sometimes be reduced or even dropped if a person chooses to fight the charges. Possible defenses against an OVI charge include inaccurate test results or the lack of reasonable suspicion that is generally required to conduct a traffic stop.
