Former Polk County deputy arrested for DUI following motorcycle crash that seriously injured passenger
POLK COUNTY, Fla. - A Polk County Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested on Thursday for DUI in connection to a motorcycle crash in July that injured both he and a female passenger, according to the sheriff's office.
Michael Brian Richards, 46, was charged with DUI with serious bodily injury and DUI on Thursday and resigned from his post; PCSO clarified that he would have been terminated had he not resigned.
On July 27, Richards was involved in a motorcycle crash near the Winter Haven airport at around 11:45 p.m. Richards was driving east on US 92 on the motorcycle and was off duty at the time.
Based on roadway evidence, the motorcycle left the road onto the south shoulder, causing Richards to lose control of the vehicle. After sliding along a grass shoulder and back onto the roadway, Richards and his 41-year-old passenger were ejected.
According to PCSO, evidence collected at the scene indicated the motorcycle was traveling between 65 and 80 mph in a 55-mph zone.
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Both Richards and the passenger sustained serious injuries and were taken to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center. The passenger remains seriously injured and is still hospitalized with a brain injury.
Richards is currently taking physical therapy, according to authorities, and hasn't worked since the crash. Deputies used a search warrant to collect the blood drawn from Richards at the hospital, and found that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.14 BAC at the time; the legal limit in Florida is .08 BAC.
"I tell every single deputy here when they are hired that if they drink and drive they will go to jail, and they will lose their job. That’s what happened here. Our sympathies and prayers are with the female victim of this avoidable crash and with her family," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "I am so disgusted by Richards’ actions—of all people, he should have known better than to drink and drive and put people’s lives at risk. We will work with the State Attorney’s office to ensure that he is held accountable."