A South Florida man who was behind the wheel of a speeding car when it crashed into a tree in Davie leaving his passenger in a coma has been arrested, police said.
Derek Salisbury, 29, was taken into custody Thursday on charges including DUI causing serious bodily injury, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and DUI with property damage, according to a Davie Police arrest report.
The report said Salisbury was driving a Scion tC in the 3000 block of Southwest 136th Avenue the night of Jan. 7 with passenger Eli Bragi when the car slammed into a tree and caught fire.
Witnesses were able to pull the two from the wreckage before it was completely engulfed in flames, but both men suffered serious injuries. Bragi underwent multiple surgeries and remains in a coma with serious brain injuries and has a partially amputated right arm, the report said.
An investigation revealed the car was believed to be going more than 80 mph in a 35 mph zone just before the crash, and was going a minimum of 70 mph when it struck the tree, the report said.
An officer who responded to the crash said Salisbury couldn't say who was driving or where he was, but the officer noticed an odor of alcohol on his breath when he spoke, the report said. According to the report, Salisbury had a blood-alcohol level of .22 after the crash, above Florida's legal level of .08.
Salisbury, of Miami Lakes, also suffered a number of injuries including a right arm fracture, a fractured right femur, fractured right ankle and fractures to his hip, the report said.
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Salisbury was ordered held on $45,000 bond during a court appearance Friday. During the appearance, his attorney said he has no arrest record and works as a physician's assistant.
