A year after a fatal DUI crash in Fort Lauderdale took the life of a passenger, the driver, Jacques Simon Brice, has been arrested and faces multiple charges. As reported by NBC Miami, the 26-year-old Delray Beach resident was involved in an accident just before 1:15 a.m. on June 9, 2024, where his failure to properly handle a curve led to the deadly outcome. Brice is now facing serious consequences, including DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide, among other charges.
The crash occurred on the exit ramp to Broward Boulevard from southbound Interstate 95, where Brice's Lexus IS250 sedan struck a median wall and went airborne, causing the vehicle to flip over. Jessica Paniagua Buesaquillo, 31, tragically lost her life in the incident, and a male passenger sustained injuries. Authorities, upon arriving at the scene, detected the smell of alcohol on Brice's breath, and a tequila bottle was reportedly found in the wreckage. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper's observation, in conjunction with a blood sample analysis showing Brice's blood alcohol level at .14, confirmed suspicions of Brice's impairment at the time of the crash, a significant amount over Florida's legal limit of .08.
An update on Facebook by Broward County Mugshots provided further details on Brice's arrest, listing no bail for the DUI manslaughter (UBAL), DUI manslaughter (impairment), and vehicular homicide-related charges, among others. These details highlight the severity of offenses stemming from driving under the influence and the legal system's stringent approach to such transgressions.
Following extraction from his car after the accident, Brice was taken into custody on Tuesday by the Broward Sheriff's Office. He's now held at the Main Jail. Witnesses recalled that Brice and his companions were drinking at a Delray Beach retro arcade prior to the incident, with the surviving passenger claiming Brice continued drinking throughout the night and was speeding before the crash. Reports suggest that another blood sample taken more than four hours post-crash showed his blood alcohol level at .077, which is just below the legal limit, but does not ease the implications of his previous higher reading.
