A Broward Sheriff's Office deputy has been arrested on DUI and reckless driving charges following a May car crash that left a man injured, authorities said.
Deputy Carlos Hernandez was arrested Tuesday on charges of DUI causing serious bodily injury to another, DUI with damage to property or person of another, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury and reckless driving causing damage to person or property, BSO officials said.
The crash happened around 5:45 a.m. on May 15 in the 13600 block of Pines Boulevard in Pembroke Pines.
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Officials said Hernandez, 36, was off-duty and behind the wheel of his unmarked BSO vehicle, a 2015 Ford Taurus, when he slammed into the back of a 2018 KIA Sportage.
The impact caused the Sportage to go off the roadway, hit a tree and roll onto its roof, officials said.
The man who was driving, whose name wasn't released, was taken to a hospital for treatment.
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Investigators determined Hernandez was going about 77 mph five seconds before the crash and 71 mph at the time of the impact, on a road where the posted speed limit is 45 mph.
Detectives who responded noticed the odor of an alcoholic beverage on Hernandez’s breath, several hours after the crash occurred, officials said. Detectives also listened to the dispatch recordings and noticed that Hernandez’s speech was slow and slurred, authorities said.
Investigators determined Hernandez operated the vehicle "in a reckless manner, displaying a willful or wanton disregard for the safety and/or property of others," BSO said in a statement Wednesday.
Hernandez, who has been with the department since September 2017, has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of his case.
"It is never ok to drive under the influence or in a reckless manner that puts lives at risk. Too many lives and too many families have been destroyed by such actions," Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a statement. "We will make sure that those who break the law, including our own employees, are held to account when they commit crimes."
