POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – The Broward Sheriff's Office reopened southbound Interstate 95 at Copans Road nearly three hours after a deputy-involved crash.
Deputy Daniel Rivera, 32, was headed to the Pompano Beach substation when he crashed his patrol car into a palm tree about 6:16 a.m., said Broward Sheriff Scott Israel.
Rivera, a 12-year veteran, was listed in critical condition and underwent surgery at Broward Health North on Wednesday morning.
"Our accident homicide investigators believe, at this point, that he started to brake -- the vehicle maybe stopped abruptly in front of him -- and the vehicle (the deputy's patrol car) went off the roadway," said Israel. "The passenger's side wrapped itself around the tree. The tree was actually three feet embedded into the vehicle."
"It looked pretty bad," said Roger Hrenyo. "I saw him when he was on the stretcher and they were wheeling him back up into the ambulance."
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.