Ryan Basdeo of Pompano Beach, Florida was arrested on Tuesday for his involvement in the DUI crash that injured his wife, Alana Battoo Basdeo, and killed his 3-year-old daughter, Sophia.
Basdeo, 29, is charged with vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter of a child, DUI manslaughter, DUI with serious bodily injury to another, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, and two counts of DUI property damage.
He was ordered held on $111,000 bond on Wednesday. If he manages to bond out of jail, then he will be required to wear a GPS monitor and obey a curfew.
According to the police report, the alleged crash occurred on October 6, 2016, as Hurricane Matthew was approaching South Florida. Basdeo was reportedly driving a Mitsubishi Outlander at a high rate of speed along Miramar Parkway with his wife and toddler daughter as passengers.
He was doing 60 mph in a 25 mph zone when he lost control of the vehicle at a sharp curve. The vehicle skidded off the pavement and hit a guardrail and two trees, the report said. The two parents were not wearing their seat belts and their child was not in a safety seat.
Two police officers heard the crash. They rushed to scene and worked with good Samaritans to pull out Basdeo and his passengers from the flaming vehicle. The two adults suffered extensive injuries and required surgery. Their daughter died less than a day later at a hospital in Hollywood.
“The fatal crash occurred during the Hurricane Matthew [approaching storm] warning, when very few people were out on the roadway,” prosecutor Scott Strauss said at a court hearing Wednesday.
Basdeo’s blood-alcohol content was .10, which is over the legal limit for safe driving in the state of Florida.
Another DUI case was reported in Tamarac last month. Sandra Duval was arrested for her alleged involvement in a DUI car crash that killed Gerard Allard.
Duval, 34, faces charges of DUI manslaughter, DUI causing property damage, vehicular homicide, and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage. She is being held without bond until her trial. The press did not name an attorney for her.
According to the police report, the crash occurred on March 24 along NW 39th Avenue in Coconut Creek. Someone driving a Jeep drove onto the sidewalk and struck Allard, who was riding a bicycle, before crashing into a tree. Allard sustained severe injuries and died a few days later.
The person driving the Jeep was later identified as Duval. She sustained minor injuries from the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment. She reportedly fell asleep multiple times while in the trauma room and confessed to hitting a cyclist and crashing into some parked vehicles.
She also told investigators she had used heroin hours before she struck Allard, the report said. The results of a blood test showed she was under the influence of cocaine and fentanyl.
Florida DUI Attorney
If you have been involved in a DUI car crash, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced DUI attorneys.
Source: 10.17.18 Man charged with killing his toddler daughter in fiery DUI crash.pdf