APOPKA, Fla. – News 6 got to ride along with an officer of the Apopka Police Department, looking for drivers who were under the influence ahead of the holiday season.
After a quick briefing that included multiple agencies, we were on the road with Officer Ashley Eller.
"Anything can be a DUI-related stop," Eller said. "We try to get as many people on the roadways this holiday season as we (can), because there's an influx of traffic to our area."
We ended up parking in the median, watching for speeders down Orange Blossom Trail, looking for any signs of drunken drivers.
"People that are driving without their headlight on, or a taillight that's out -- sometimes it's speeding," Eller added.
Only a couple of minutes into our watch, Eller spotted a car running a stop sign.
The traffic stop then took a turn. Eller said she immediately smelled marijuana coming out of the car.
The driver was told to get out of the vehicle and take a sobriety test.
"(There was) quite a bit of marijuana within the vehicle, and some wax marijuana in his pocket," Eller said. "Under the influence can mean under anything that can impair you. If you're out here using drugs and driving cars, we will find you and you will be prosecuted."
Officers will continue to do these crackdowns leading into Thanksgiving and Christmas.