UFC Star Jailed on 20 Charges After Deadly Incident
UFC fighter Desmond Green was arrested Tuesday on 20 different counts related to a car crash he was involved in last summer.
The multicar accident on a Florida highway resulted in the deaths of two women — Emelina Morfa, 67, and Emma Suarez Hernandez, 76, USA Today reported.
Green, 29, who fights in the lightweight division, was arrested on two second-degree felony counts of DUI manslaughter; four third-degree felony counts of DUI causing serious bodily injury; third-degree felony possession of cocaine; five misdemeanor counts of DUI property damage; and third-degree felony driving with a suspended license, the report said.
UFC fighter Desmond Green arrested on numerous charges following deadly car crash (@DamonMartin) https://t.co/49lkKxEy3M pic.twitter.com/RQK2VquhmQ
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) June 26, 2019
He was placed into custody in a Broward County jail but was out on $194,000 bail, MMA News reported.
Prosecutors allege that on Aug. 18, 2018, Green “veered his 2011 Dodge Durango into the path of a truck with a trailer in the next lane and caused a chain reaction that involved three other vehicles,” USA Today reported.
One of the vehicles hit a guard rail and flipped over, the report said. The two women were killed, and two other passengers were seriously injured.
USA Today, citing a probable cause affidavit, reported that Green was driving with a suspended license in the state of Florida. He had been pulled over two weeks prior for a fender-bender with a suspended license and no proof of insurance. He also had his license suspended in the state of New York.
“A witness saw him exit the vehicle and throw a metal object over a concrete traffic barrier,” the report said. “A nearby off-duty police officer found the object, allegedly a marijuana grinder, and made contact with Green, whom he observed to be intoxicated. The officer also noticed a small bag of white powder ‘in plain view’ on the front passenger seat of Green’s truck. The substance was later tested and determined to be cocaine.”
Police officers on the scene said the fighter smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech. He tested positive for cannabinoids with a blood-alcohol level of 0.14, USA Today reported, citing the affidavit.
Green’s attorney, James Benjamin, released a statement to MMA News disputing the charges.
“They’ve alleged that he caused the crash and was over the legal limit of alcohol at the time. We are going to contest that,” Benjamin said. “The testing that they did on his blood alcohol level wasn’t until hours after the crash and we don’t think it’s valid.”
#UFC fighter Desmond Green’s attorney disputes DUI, likens deadly crash arrest to traffic ticket (via @MMAjunkieSteven) https://t.co/ETsyIjpRM8
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) June 27, 2019
“He has been patiently awaiting the state attorney’s office to make a determination for almost a year,” Benjamin said. “It’s a tragic situation where two people passed away and we’re just so sorry that happened but, quite frankly, we don’t think it is Desmond’s fault.”
Green has a record of 23-8. His last fight was May 19, when he beat Charles Jourdain by unanimous decision.
He is ranked 25th in the UFC’s Lightweight division.
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