PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A Miramar man faces charges in the vehicular crash that sent a Pembroke Pines police officer to a hospital last spring.
Brandon Ward, 31, was arrested Thursday on drunken driving charges. He appeared in bond court Friday morning, when Judge John Hurley set his bond at $10,000.
Pembroke Pines police said Ward was intoxicated when his Jeep Cherokee slammed into a police sport utility vehicle at Douglas Road and Pines Boulevard in May. Police said the results of a toxicology report show that Ward had a blood-alcohol level of 0.22, nearly triple the state legal limit of 0.08.
Officer Ben Burke, 43, was seriously injured in the crash and taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. The 19-year-old veteran and former officer of the year hasn't returned to work.
According to an arrest report, Ward told police he had been playing poker at a friend's house prior to the crash. Ward said he drank "a beer and a couple of vodkas."
Ward faces several charges, including DUI causing serious bodily damage and DUI causing property damage. Ward is allowed to only drive to work and church if he posts bond, but is not allowed to consume alcohol.
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