Driver Arrested in Fatal Five-Car I-95 Pile-Up That Killed Road Ranger on New Year’s Day

Court records reveal that the individual responsible for the tragic crash on New Year’s Day, which resulted in the death of a Road Ranger in Broward County, had a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) that was double the legal limit at the time of the incident. The elevated BAC suggests that the suspect was driving under the influence, contributing to the fatal collision.

An arrest warrant was issued on Thursday for 45-year-old Latoya Hayes, the driver believed to be responsible for causing the five-vehicle chain-reaction crash. Hayes is facing a range of serious charges, including two counts of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide, in connection with the tragic incident. These charges stem from the fatal crash that led to the death of a Road Ranger.

Prosecutors have also filed multiple additional charges against Latoya Hayes, including several counts of DUI causing injury, DUI causing property damage, reckless driving causing injury, and reckless driving causing property damage. These charges come in the wake of the tragic crash that not only claimed the life of a Road Ranger but also left two Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers injured. According to prosecutors, the three victims were stopped in the express lane of I-95 South, near the Hollywood Boulevard interchange in Broward County, at the time of the collision.

At the time of the crash, all three vehicles—two Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) cruisers and a Ford F-250 driven by the Road Ranger—had their emergency lights flashing, with the pickup truck displaying a directional arrow to signal that drivers should move over. At approximately 3:36 a.m., a Honda Accord was approaching the scene in the inside lane when Latoya Hayes, driving her 2012 BMW X6 at a high rate of speed, allegedly slammed into the rear of the Honda. The collision caused the Honda to spin out of control and crash into a guardrail, injuring the driver.

Despite hitting the Honda, Hayes’ BMW continued to travel for over 200 feet before it struck a median, and another 273 feet later, it collided with the Road Ranger’s truck and the two FHP cruisers. The two troopers inside the cruisers were injured and taken to the hospital, while the Road Ranger, identified as Jose Parra Guadama, was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.

A responding trooper noted that Hayes smelled of alcohol, and her eyes appeared red, bloodshot, and watery. Approximately an hour later, a traffic homicide investigator arrived and reported still smelling alcohol on Hayes, who was reportedly chewing gum in an apparent attempt to mask the scent. Court records show that two blood tests conducted three hours after the crash revealed Hayes’ blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.168, more than twice the legal limit.