Miami Police Officer Mario Gonzalez was injured after being struck by a driver who was reportedly under the influence. The driver responsible was identified as Belkis Selgado.
Salgado, 33, was charged with DUI, DUI causing serious bodily injury, and refusal to take a Breathalyzer test after an accident. She was ordered held on $10,000 bond. It is unclear if she has acquired the services of an attorney.
According to the police report, the incident occured at approximately 3 a.m. September 12 at NW Third Avenue and NW 14th Street. Gonzalez, 39, was reportedly working off-duty on a construction site. He was sitting in his unmarked police cruiser, apparently blocking the site to traffic, when a suspected drunk driver crashed into him.
Gonzalez suffered a head injury and a broken shoulder blade. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment and was discharged later that afternoon.
The driver who crashed into Gonzalez’s vehicle was identified as Salgado. She reportedly had bloodshot eyes, her speech was slurred, and the smell of alcohol emanated from her breath. She allegedly had trouble keeping her balance and was combative during a field sobriety exercise.
Salgado also refused to take a Breathalyzer test, the report indicates. She was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Cases of DUI that cause injury or death aren’t uncommon in South Florida. Another DUI incident was reported in Sunrise yesterday. Travis Osorio of Opa-lock was arrested in connection to a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed bicyclist Donald Haushalter earlier this year.
Osorio, 30, was charged with DUI manslaughter, failure to stop at an accident, and driving with a suspended license. The press did not name an attorney for him.
According to Sunrise police, the alleged DUI crash occurred at around 3:46 p.m. April 22 on West Oakland Park Boulevard. Osorio was driving his 2005 Ford Explorer in the eastbound lanes when he crossed into the westbound lanes and entered a bicycle lane.
He then collided with a bicyclist who was identified as 62-year-old Donald Haushalter. The impact threw Haushalter 20 feet from his bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
Osorio didn’t stop to administer aid or call the police and instead continued driving to his destination. Shortly after the crash, an officer noticed Osorio driving erratically and pulled him over. Once outside his vehicle, Osorio allegedly got on his knees and spontaneously said, “I just hit someone on a bicycle.”
The officer noted that Osorio had a strong smell of alcohol and took him into custody. Osorio allegedly admitted to paramedics that he had been drinking vodka earlier in the day, according to the arrest report.
No charges were filed at the time. Police said they were waiting for the results of a blood test to determine Osorio’s blood alcohol level during the crash. His blood alcohol content was .13, which is over the legal limit for driving in Florida.
Miami-Dade DUI Attorney
If you have been arrested for a DUI, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Miami’s most experienced DUI attorneys.
Sources: 9.12.19 Miami police officer hit by driver suspected of DUI.pdf & 9.12.19 Opalocka man faces DUI manslaughter charges for hit-and-run crash.pdf