According to a Dalton Police Department incident report, On March 7th, 2023, at 8:42 AM, Officer Marcus stopped a black Kia Soul traveling west on Walnut Ave near I-75 after he observed the driver, Carolyn Linam Cotton, 39, had a cell phone in her hand. Officer Marcus reported, “[I] made contact with Carolyn, [I] could detect a strong odor of marijuana as [I] approached the vehicle. [I] asked Carolyn when she had last smoked marijuana. Carolyn stated that she had last smoked marijuana the night prior after she left work at around 10:00 PM. [I] told Carolyn to exit the vehicle so that I could conduct a probable cause search. Carolyn told me that there was marijuana, a loaded gun, and several hydrocodone’s in an unmarked pill bottle in her purse. Carolyn appeared to be very upset. She was crying and seemed to be over-emotional. [I] asked Carolyn why she was so emotional. She claimed that she was going through bad times in life.” During field sobriety tests, Carolyn showed several signs of impairment. Officer Morang and Officer Marcus both agreed that Carolyn was impaired beyond the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Carolyn agreed to the state test and was transported to the Whitfield County Jail, charged with possession of a controlled substance, DUI drugs, and Georgia hands-free violation.
Woman arrested for DUI after being stopped for hands-free violation on Walnut Avenue in Dalton
