Cobb police say more drivers are being found passed out behind the wheel, high on drugs

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Cobb County police department has an entire unit dedicated to finding impaired drivers and getting them off the road.

It’s a job police say they invest their time into daily.

“Our DUI task force - that is literally their job, every day is to find impaired drivers and get them off the road,” Officer Aaron Wilson, the Public Information Officer for the Cobb County Police Department said.

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While police say most of the D.U.I. cases they handle involve alcohol, there are times they come across drivers who are high on drugs.

“Recently there have been a couple of examples of officers locating a vehicle that has been sitting at a traffic light as it cycles the driver is not moving,” Wilson said.

The drivers are listed in two separate arrest warrants but appear to have similar stories.

According to court documents, both drivers were high on drugs and passed out behind the wheel with their cars in drive.

“Both of these drivers were at an intersection in the middle of the night asleep at the wheel with their foot on the brake,” Wilson said.

Manson Roderick is facing a list of charges compared to the other driver.

He’s accused of aggravated assault against officers and is facing drug charges and other crimes.

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Investigators say Roderick told police he took drugs and they smelled alcohol on his breath.

Officers say when they find impaired drivers asleep at the wheel, they have to be strategic about getting the driver safely off the road.

“What we’re trained to do is not wake the driver up. Because if their foot is still on the brake the car is in drive. What we will do is position our patrol vehicles front to back and side to side, to prevent that car from moving,” Wilson said.

Police say if other drivers notice a driver asleep behind the wheel they should not approach the vehicle but should call 911.

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