DUI crash left a Miami-Dade deputy badly hurt. The driver has turned herself in

A woman turned herself in on Sunday a month after investigators say she drunkenly ran down a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputy and caused him life-threatening injuries.

On April 11, around 3:35 a.m., Janice Garcia, 28, was driving a blue 2020 Mazda MZ3 northbound on Southwest 99th Court near 85th Street, according to her arrest affidavit.

Deputy Joshua Brown had been assigned to the uniform patrol in the Kendall District. While handling an unrelated call, Brown walked to the back of a marked Miami-Dade Sheriff’s car and saw headlights approaching him, according to Garcia’s arrest affidavit.

The car flashed its high beams at him and the car was driving close to the edge of the roadway, according to the arrest affidavit.

Brown tried to move out the way but was struck by Garcia’s car, propelling him through the air.

He was taken to HCA Kendall Hospital as a trauma patient by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Brown suffered a concussion, abrasions to his forehead, cheeks, upper lip, forearms, abdomen and knees. He suffered multiple fractures that needed surgery. The arrest affidavit noted that Brown had a skin graft on April 11 and ankle surgery on April 29.

Garcia was distressed after the collision, deputies say, and had slurred speech, bloodshot and watery eyes and the smell of alcohol on her breath.

She agreed to do a field sobriety test, which showed she had involuntary jerking of her eyes, swayed during a balance test and failed to touch heel to toe.

Garcia agreed to have her blood taken at the scene. On April 16, the results of the blood draw came back and showed her blood alcohol level was 0.156 and 0.154, above the 0.08% legal limit.

Garcia turned herself in on Sunday. She is charged with driving under the influence, causing serious bodily harm. Jail records show she has a $15,000 bond and remains jailed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional as of Tuesday. She also has a no driving order, records show.