Hundreds of DUI arrests in TN ended with no drugs or alcohol detected, TBI reports

From Local 3 News: A new report from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows hundreds of people arrested for driving under the influence in 2024 later tested negative for both alcohol and drugs.

According to the TBI, 419 DUI arrests statewide resulted in no detectable substances in a person’s system. Several law enforcement agencies in the Tennessee Valley area contributed to that total.

Officers say DUI arrests typically begin when they observe indicators of impairment, such as erratic driving or delayed reactions. After a traffic stop, officers look for additional clues, conduct field sobriety tests and may make an arrest if they have probable cause.

Collegedale Police Sgt. Cory McNeal said the number of negative test results is not surprising.

“There’s so many things that can make you intoxicated, and it just falls outside of just drugs and alcohol,” McNeal said.

McNeal said inhalants are one example of substances that can impair a driver but may not be detected through standard testing.

“The problem with that is it’s in and out of your system so fast,” he said. “By the time you’re able to get blood, it won’t show.”

East Ridge Assistant Chief of Police Josh Creel said intoxication can also come from legal, over-the-counter medications.

“It probably says somewhere on there, ‘Do not drive or operate heavy machinery,’ may cause drowsiness and dizziness that presents as intoxication,” Creel said. “Because it is intoxication, it doesn’t have to be an illegal substance, and it may not be a substance that shows up on a drug and toxicology report.”

Creel emphasized officers must have probable cause to make a DUI arrest and said arrest quotas are illegal in Tennessee.

“There’s expectations that our officers get out and do their jobs,” he said. “But at the same time, we’re not saying you have to make this many arrests, this many tickets — especially DUIs.”

Creel also warned that new substances are frequently altered to bypass regulations, making them difficult to identify through testing or field sobriety exams.

“More boutique substances are coming out every day that have no real purpose other than to get someone intoxicated,” he said. “Nobody really knows what’s in those chemicals except for the people making them.”

Law enforcement officials advise drivers to understand how any substance they ingest could affect them before getting behind the wheel.