Morehead police use SoToxa handheld device to drug test drivers, preventing deadly crashes

MOREHEAD, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – The Morehead Police Department is deploying a new handheld device, acquired through a state grant, to catch drug-impaired drivers before they cause deadly crashes.

The SoToxa Oral Fluid Mobile Testing System analyzes a single saliva sample to identify up to seven types of drugs in about five minutes.

The department received the device through a partnership with the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, placing no additional financial burden on the city.

Two officers recently traveled to Frankfort for certification training and are now authorized to deploy the device in the field.

“This grant allows us to put advanced technology directly into the hands of our officers,” said department captain, Josh Ison.

“The SoToxa system strengthens our ability to identify drug‑impaired drivers quickly and accurately, helping us improve roadway safety and better protect our community,” Ison added.

Morehead Police say the device has already been used to help make an impaired driving arrest. For police officer Mike Adams who has been with the department for nearly 40 years, the technology is a welcome addition.

“It’s a roadside test that is good for all kind of different types of drugs,” he said.

Over the course of his career, Adams has seen drivers impaired by drugs, alcohol, and sometimes both.

“Impaired driving is oftentimes said to be drunk driving. That’s a misnomer. It’s driving under the influence. You don’t have to be drunk to be DUI,” Adams said.

For Adams, stopping impaired drivers is a personal mission.

“We want to make an arrest of impaired drivers because it’s deadly,” Adams said.

“It hits real close to home,” Adams added.

June 2, 2004, is a date Adams will never forget.

“My mother had my 13-year-old son on a Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.,” Adams said. “They were en route to church and met head-on right before they got to church. A drunk driver had a [blood alcohol content] of .13 passing in illegal no passing zone and hit mom head on.”

Adams’ mother was killed, and his son was injured in the crash. Following the wreck, Adams began tracking impaired driving statistics. He says an average of around 200 people die in Kentucky each year in wrecks caused by impaired driving.

“There have been 4,400, just like I told you, that happen to Kentucky families,” Adams said.

Adams hopes the SoToxa device will prevent others from getting hurt by impaired drivers. He has a simple message for motorists.

“All you have to don’t drink or drive or take some intoxicant. Just don’t drive impaired,” Adams said.