Broward County Deputy Carlos Hernandez was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office on charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence following a car crash that left a man injured earlier this year.
Deputy Hernandez was arrested around 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13, at Broward Sheriff’s Office’s (BSO) Public Safety Building. He faces several charges, including DUI 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.
According to BSO’s traffic homicide investigators, around 5:45 a.m. on Sunday, May 15, Deputy Hernandez, who was off duty at the time, was driving his unmarked assigned vehicle, a 2015 Ford Taurus, westbound on Pines Boulevard in Pembroke Pines. The investigation revealed that Deputy Hernandez was traveling at a peak speed of 77 miles per hour for approximately five seconds before crashing into the rear of a 2018 KIA Sportage. Deputy Hernandez’s speed at impact was 71 miles per hour. The posted speed limit on that road is 45 miles per hour.
As a result of the impact, the victim’s vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree, and rolled onto its roof. The victim was transported to Memorial Regional Hospital for treatment for injuries sustained in the crash.
As a result of the investigation, detectives determined that Deputy Hernandez operated the vehicle “in a reckless manner, displaying a willful or wanton disregard for the safety and/or property of others.”
“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. We will make sure that those who break the law, including our own employees, are held to account when they commit crimes,” Sheriff Gregory Tony said.
Deputy Carlos Hernandez was hired by BSO on September 12, 2017. Following his arrest on Tuesday, his status changed from suspended with pay to suspended without pay.
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