DAVIE, Fla. – A drunk driver accused of killing a father of four appeared in court on Monday to face multiple charges following a hit-and-run in Davie last January.
Davie Police department said they responded to the scene near the intersection of State Road 7 and Griffin road after a crash on Monday, Jan. 18, just before midnight in which a car hit a pedestrian, according to News 6 partner WPLG.
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According to Davie police, a man later identified as Pedro Moss, 27, was driving a white 2018 BMW X2, when detectives said he hit 45-year-old Joseph Nichols who was walking in the median.
Police said that Hollywood Rescue personnel arrived at the scene and as they were trying to remove Moss from the vehicle, one of the police officers heard the driver say, “Ya’ll chill, I’m just intoxicated.”
At the hospital, Moss’ blood was tested and was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.244%. In Florida, it is illegal to drive with a .08% BAC (blood alcohol content) or higher.
One of the officers contacted Moss’ girlfriend who said that she had tracked his cell phone to Ghost Bar on South State Road 7 and showed up at the bar, she said, to confront him. That was when she told police she saw Moss drive away from the bar at a high rate of speed.
Surveillance video obtained from the scene showed the moments before the crash and the crash itself, according to investigators. The report said that Moss was speeding, then switched lanes “abruptly.” That was when he crossed the median to travel north bound in the south bound lanes of State Route 7. After striking the median, the BMW continued on to hit and kill a pedestrian, later identified as Nichols, who was attempting to cross the road.
Moss is facing multiple charges including reckless driving, excessive speed, vehicular homicide, and numerous charges related to DUI manslaughter.
His arrest offered some solace for Celine Nichols and her family.
“I cried,” she said. “It is like a big relief because we had to deal with the fact the guy was still out there.”
Aside from the grief, Celine and her family knew the driver may hurt someone else.
“We don’t have to think about the guy doing this to someone else again,” she said.
Data taken from the car’s electronic data retrieval showed that the vehicle was traveling at a speed of between 108 and 117 miles per hour 5 to 3.5 seconds before the crash. The speed limit on the roadway is 45 miles per hour.
According to investigators, Moss’ driver’s license was cancelled indefinitely on March 13, 2020, was suspended Nov. 3, 2020 for criminal failure to pay, and a database showed that Moss was notified numerous times of his suspensions and cancellation.
“It’s not fair,” Celine said. “My dad is gone. He lost his life to someone who was reckless and didn’t care.”