A Northwest Miami-Dade man has been charged with DUI after investigators say he was driving drunk when his red pickup truck struck a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy’s car this weekend.
The President of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA) tells CBS News Miami he is deeply troubled by the case.
“This was extremely dangerous. He could have killed people. I am glad this officer is OK, and they need to throw the book at this guy. This is terrible,” said PBA President Steadman Stahl.
“It is incredible in this day and age that people are still out there drinking and driving when we have Uber and other ways of getting around. If you are going to be drinking, you should find a responsible way of getting to and from home. This could have been much worse. He also caused great damage to the police car,” Stahl added.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said 53-year-old Yovany Izquierdo was charged with DUI and DUI with damage to property or person. Authorities say the crash happened at 2:44 a.m. Saturday at Northwest 15th Street and 47th Avenue. Deputy “V. Alvarez” was guarding an intersection due to a nearby fatal crash when a westbound red pickup struck the right side of her car, leaving her with minor injuries.
“She was working a traffic crash and assisting so that nobody could go down the road and interfere with the accident she was already working. She noticed a driver coming at her in a red pickup truck, and it slammed into her vehicle,” Stahl said.
“When she got into the vehicle, she could clearly identify that he had been drinking. She called out a DUI unit, and they did a breathalyzer test. He blew almost three times the legal limit — 2.45, I believe. That is an incredible amount of alcohol to have in your system and be driving a vehicle,” Stahl recounted.
An arrest report stated, “Deputy Alvarez observed that the defendant had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, and an odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath.”
CBS News Miami reached Izquierdo by telephone. He declined to comment on the case.
