Three Men Sue Tennessee Highway Patrol Over DUI Arrests Despite Negative Toxicology Results
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is facing a lawsuit alleging that state troopers wrongfully arrested drivers on DUI charges despite toxicology reports later showing no drugs or alcohol in their systems.
Filed as a federal civil rights case, the lawsuit was brought by the HSG Law Group in Nashville on behalf of three men who claim they were wrongfully arrested for driving under the influence despite blood tests later confirming they were sober.
Charles Engle, a 70-year-old farmer, was driving his truck on July 22 in nearly 100-degree weather while pulling a trailer carrying a tractor and mower when the vehicle crossed into the opposite lane after hitting a repaved section on Highway 641. The trailer jackknifed and came to rest in a ditch.
When officers arrived, Engle underwent field sobriety testing. He later told his wife he believed he likely failed the tests due to medical issues affecting his hip and eye. Officers reported bloodshot eyes and poor performance during the evaluation.
Engle says he had to sell one of his tractors that he used for his livelihood in order to pay for bond after his arrest.
The other two men named in the lawsuit also claim they suffered emotional and financial distress as a result of the arrests. According to the complaint, the arrests were based on field sobriety testing and officer observations, without the use of a breathalyzer or other immediate chemical testing methods.
Blood test results later showed no alcohol or controlled substances in the three men’s systems, and the DUI charges were ultimately dismissed.
Under Tennessee law, officers may rely on observations and field sobriety tests when determining whether probable cause exists for a DUI arrest. Chemical testing, including blood or breath analysis, is typically used to confirm the presence of alcohol or drugs, and the results are often obtained after an arrest.
Data cited in the complaint shows hundreds of DUI arrests in Tennessee where testing later found no alcohol or drugs in drivers’ systems, including 419 cases documented in 2024. It also states that the Tennessee Highway Patrol was responsible for a significant portion of those arrests. Drivers identified in those cases ranged from new drivers to elderly residents, many of whom had clean driving records and later reported being arrested despite testing negative.
Lawmakers in Tennessee have since passed legislation requiring the state to track arrests involving detainees who test negative for drugs or alcohol.
The complaint alleges the arrests violated the men’s rights, including claims of false arrest and malicious prosecution under the Fourth Amendment, which center on whether officers had a valid legal basis to detain and charge them.
Protections under the Fourth Amendment guard against unreasonable searches and seizures, including arrests made without sufficient legal justification. Claims of malicious prosecution focus on whether charges were pursued without proper grounds after an arrest.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and requests a jury trial, along with changes to enforcement practices to prevent similar arrests.
