A tow truck driver has been arrested in connection with a fiery crash in Miami last month that killed a Miami-Dade College sign language professor.
Jose Garcia, 49, turned himself in Tuesday to face a vehicular homicide in a reckless manner charge in the Dec. 11 crash, an arrest report said.
Loved ones identified the man killed in the crash as 69-year-old Jose Granda, a leader in the deaf and gay community.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
The crash happened just after midnight in the area of Southwest 22nd Avenue and Southwest 17th Street.
The arrest report said Garcia was driving a tow truck that collided with a Honda CR-V driven by Granda.
The CR-V skidded for about 83 feet before it hit a curb and flipped onto the driver's side, then skidded another 57 feet before coming to a stop, the report said.
Local
An off-duty police officer witnessed the crash and helped witnesses flip the CR-V back onto its wheels, but the CR-V became fully engulfed in flames and the officer and witnesses tried to extinguish the fire until fire rescue arrived, the report said.
Granda, who was 69, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Garcia was taken into custody after performing roadside exercises and was taken to get a breath sample, but he refused and a warrant for a blood draw was executed, the report said.
In an email, Garcia's attorney, Michael Catalano, said blood was drawn 4.5 hours after the crash and it came back zero for drugs and alcohol.
According to the report, Garcia's tow truck had white and amber flashing lights activated and an audible siren as he traveled at a high rate of speed in a residential area.
One witness said the tow truck was switching lanes when overtaking slower moving vehicles before the crash, the report said.
The posted speed limit is 35 mph, but the tow truck data showed it was going 81 mph about three seconds before the crash, according to the report.
"Due to the defendant's driving patterns and very high rate of speed, he demonstrated a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others and property in the area," the report said. "There was no evidence of braking on the roadway prior to impact."
Garcia was booked into jail and given a $7,500 bond, records showed.
Catalano disputed the speed noted in the report, saying it's hard to believe the truck could have reached 80 mph in two blocks. Catalano also noted that the other driver made a fast turn in front of the tow truck.
“Since the deceased made an abrupt left turn right in front of my client, we do not think he is guilty of vehicle homicide. Since his blood results showed zero alcohol and zero drugs, the State has told us they will drop that charge," Catalano said. "The appeals courts have said many times that speed alone is not enough for vehicle homicide. We must say we are all sad for the loss of that man in the car that cut in front of Mr. Garcia. Criminal charges will, unfortunately, not bring him back to life. We heard that he was a good man."
Granda spent more than 30 years teaching American Sign Language at Miami-Dade College and was a frequent presenter at sign language interpreter conferences at the local, state and national level, the college said in a statement after the crash.
"Prof. Granda also held positions in many nonprofit organizations, assisting clients with program coordination for ASL, as well as coordinating special services with government and community agencies in this regard. He was beloved by students, and peers lauded him for his ‘expressive demeanor, which displayed the full impact of American Sign Language’ and for serving as a mentor to many sign language interpreters in the field," the statement read. "His lasting impact on his students and the MDC community will be felt for years to come. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends."
