A Hialeah man is facing DUI charges after police say he drove his Toyota Highlander the wrong way down East 39th Street before slamming into a motorcyclist just after 3:20 p.m. last Sunday, leaving the rider with multiple rib and pelvic fractures. Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Barrera was booked into jail on charges of DUI and DUI with damage to property or person, according to the arrest report.
The collision happened at the intersection of East 4th Avenue and East 39th Street, where Rodriguez-Barrera's SUV struck a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, according to NBC 6 South Florida. The impact was severe enough that it crushed the SUV's side doors inward and shattered its windows, according to WSVN 7News, which reported the SUV had been traveling the wrong way on East 39th Street prior to the impact.
The motorcyclist suffered multiple rib fractures, multiple pelvic fractures, and facial lacerations in the crash, per the arrest report cited by NBC 6. A Miami-Dade Air Rescue helicopter was dispatched to fly the injured rider from Hialeah to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, per WSVN's reporting on the response.
Signs of Impairment at the Scene
A Hialeah police officer who responded to the crash reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol on Rodriguez-Barrera's breath and noted his bloodshot, red eyes, according to the arrest report. The officer also described Rodriguez-Barrera as erratic and argumentative, and he refused to perform field sobriety exercises, the report states.
Rodriguez-Barrera was taken to a local hospital, where staff collected a blood sample from him. While there, he reportedly yelled at nursing staff and requested to leave, according to the arrest report. He told officers in Spanish that he had drunk a little bit of alcohol, the report says.
Why a Blood Draw Was Possible Without Consent
Florida law gave officers a path to obtain evidence even amid Rodriguez-Barrera's refusal to cooperate. Under Florida Statute Section 316.1933, law enforcement officers with probable cause to suspect impairment in a crash resulting in serious bodily injury are legally authorized to compel a blood draw, using reasonable force if necessary, according to the Florida Senate.
Separately, a 2025 update to the state's implied consent law known as Trenton's Law now makes refusing a lawful breath or urine test its own standalone second-degree misdemeanor for a first offense, on top of any underlying DUI charge, per the Florida Senate's statutory language. Rodriguez-Barrera was booked into jail and appeared before a judge the following Monday, where his bond was set at $10,000.
Facing a Felony Under Florida's DUI Injury Law
Because the crash left the motorcyclist with serious bodily injury, Rodriguez-Barrera faces a significantly elevated charge. Under Florida Statute Section 316.193(3)(c)(2), DUI resulting in serious bodily injury to another person is classified as a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $5,000, according to the Florida Senate.
The motorcyclist was taken to Ryder Trauma Center, which operates as Miami-Dade County's verified Level I trauma center and treats between 3,500 and 5,500 adult and pediatric critical trauma patients each year, according to Jackson Health System. Aerial transport to a facility of that caliber is typically reserved for patients with life-threatening or severe multi-system trauma.
A County With a Motorcycle Safety Problem
This crash adds to a grim tally for Miami-Dade County, which recorded 1,232 motorcycle crashes resulting in 60 fatalities in 2025 — more than any other county in the state, according to data from Miami-Dade County published in May. Statewide, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles documented 9,455 motorcycle crashes and 598 motorcycle fatalities in 2024, while preliminary state data shows Miami-Dade logged 55,530 total motor vehicle crashes and 271 deaths across 255 fatal crashes in 2025.
It is also the second serious motorcycle collision to hit Hialeah in recent weeks. Hoodline reported earlier this month that a 74-year-old driver fled after striking a rider on West 10th Avenue, an incident that also left a motorcyclist with severe injuries requiring an airlift to Ryder Trauma Center. Investigators have not yet said whether Rodriguez-Barrera will face additional charges tied to the wrong-way driving, and toxicology results from the hospital blood draw have not been made public.
