La Crosse County, like rest of state, seen increase in drugged driving deaths, says sheriff

Media ads, road signs and billboards often warn of the dangers and consequences of drunk driving.

Those practices are not so common with people driving high. But, the drug induced driving deaths in Wisconsin have doubled since 2006. That’s not different for La Crosse County, according to Sheriff’s captain Mike Horstman.

“Frequently that does get combined with alcohol,” he said. “Typically, we’re going to see the marijuana, and now with heroin, we’re seeing more of that as well.”

Horstman says officers are trained to spot a person who is driving under the influence of drugs.

“There are clues that we’re looking for,” he said. “You can see what their eyes are looking like, how their speech is, their mannerisms. There are signs of impairment that even the layperson would be able to recognize.”

Horstman added that more doctors should remind patients about driving under the influence of medication but it remains the driver’s responsibility.