Defense deflects blame in DUI crash that killed Broward deputy

Battle lines have become clear in the trial of a Boynton Beach man initially accused of driving drunk and running a red light through a Deerfield Beach intersection and causing the crash that killed a Broward Sheriff ’s deputy.

But did Darran Johnson run a red light? Did Benjamin Nimtz have his lights and sirens on? And was Johnson drunk? Jurors will ultimately consider the answers to each of those questions in determining whether to send Johnson, 36, to prison for causing Nimtz’s death.

The crash took place on July 21, 2019, and until recently the official account faulted Johnson for running a red light. But Broward Sheriff ’s Detective Michael Wiley testified at Johnson’s trial Thursday that he currently has “no opinion” on whether the defendant ran a red light a split second before his vehicle T-boned the patrol SUV driven by Nimtz.

Defense lawyers in the case are also trying to cast doubt on whether Nimtz had his lights and sirens activated as he and other deputies, in separate vehicles, responded to a domestic disturbance early that morning. Medical records show Johnson’s blood alcohol content was 0.08%, which would mean, legally, he should not have been driving at all.

But the jury can weigh multiple factors in determining whether to find Johnson guilty of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide, charges that could land him in prison for more than 30 years.

Wiley testified Thursday that his original crash report, submitted before a formal investigation had even begun, found that Johnson “failed to yield the right of way” to Nimtz. “The information I received was deputy was operating his vehicle with lights and sirens activated,” Wiley said.

He had believed Johnson ran a red light until relatively recently, he admitted.

Prosecutor Ross Weiner still intends to call an accident reconstruction expert to describe the fatal crash to the jury. The defense team, led by Assistant Public Defender Dale Miller, has accused investigators of using Johnson as a scapegoat for Nimtz’s tragic death.

The trial resumes Friday before Broward Circuit Judge Tom Coleman.

FACEBOOK Deputy Sheriff Benjamin Nimtz was killed in a traffic crash on July 21, 2019, while on his way to a domestic violence call.