KENDALL, Fla. — A 28-year-old woman surrendered to authorities Sunday, a month after she struck a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy with her car, seriously injuring him, authorities said.
According to an arrest report obtained Monday by Local 10 News, Janice Garcia, of Miami, surrendered herself Sunday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
She faces charges of DUI and DUI causing serious bodily injury.
According to the report, the crash happened just after 3:30 a.m. on April 11 as Deputy Josh Brown and another deputy were patrolling the Kendall District as a two-officer unit.
Deputies said Garcia struck Brown with her blue Mazda MZ3 as he was outside his patrol car in the 8500 block of Southwest 99th Court.
Brown told detectives that Garcia flashed her vehicle’s high beams at him, and his partner said Garcia was driving very close to the edge of the roadway.
According to the report, Brown tried to move out of the car’s path, but was struck and propelled through the air.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel transported the deputy to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Authorities confirmed Brown suffered a concussion and numerous other injuries throughout his body, and had to receive a skin graft and undergo ankle surgery.
According to the report, Garcia appeared to be distraught after the crash and had “slurred speech, bloodshot, watery eyes” and her breath smelled like an alcoholic beverage.
A member of MDSO’s Impaired Driving Enforcement Squad said Garcia told him “Tell me what my rights are” before agreeing to participate in field sobriety tests, which she failed.
She also agreed to provide blood samples, which showed her blood-alcohol content level was .156 percent and .154 percent, above Florida’s .08% limit for drivers, the report stated.
The Hispanic Police Officers Association posted a photo of Brown on its Instagram page after Garcia’s arrest, showing some of his injuries.
“Please continue keeping Deputy Brown and his family in your thoughts and prayers,” the post read in part.
Garcia appeared in bond court on Monday where her attorney told the judge that his client has no prior criminal record and works as a mental health counselor for kids.
He asked for the standard bond, but the judge went with the state’s request for an elevated bond of $15,000.
If she posts bond, she will be placed on house arrest and will not be allowed to drive.
“Deputy Brown is very seriously injured as a result of a careless and reckless driving behavior by a DUI (driver),” David Greenwell, of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association said. “He will probably never be the same and he’s lucky he’s alive today.”
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