Lt. Bradley David Prows, 60, faces charges of DUI and hit and run
The UCSB police lieutenant accused of sideswiping a Solvang woman’s car and then leaving the scene without stopping is scheduled to appear in Santa Barbara County Superior Court next month to face charges of driving while under the influence and hit and run, prosecutors said.
Lt. Bradley David Prows, 60, of Buellton, who heads the UCSB detectives bureau, is set to appear in Superior Court in Santa Maria on Oct. 10 for arraignment, Senior Deputy District Attorney John Mackinnon told the News-Press.
Lt. Prows is charged with driving under the influence while having a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher and hit-and-run driving, all misdemeanors, in connection with an Aug. 7 collision in Solvang. No one was injured in the collision.
Officer Michael Griffith, the CHP public information officer stationed in Buellton, told the News-Press that CHP investigators completed their investigation and submitted a complaint against Lt. Prows to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office on Aug. 25, recommending he be charged with DUI and hit and run.
The complaint filed against him says the defendant’s blood alcohol level was .15, nearly twice the legal limit.
Lt. Prows was arrested Aug. 7 after allegedly driving a pickup that hit the left side of a car whose driver was attempting to park and then fleeing the scene, allegedly ignoring the efforts of the pursuing driver to get him to stop.
The accident occurred on westbound State Route 246 at the intersection of 4th Place, according to the CHP collision report. The property damage traffic crash occurred at 6:55 p.m. near Solvang Brewing Co. CHP officers responded and contacted all involved parties.
The CHP investigation revealed that a 2016 Honda Odyssey driven by Rana Sibani, 54, of La Mesa, was driving westbound on State Route 246 and had slowed to a stop to pull into a parking stall. She had two passengers in her car, Alaf Kawar, 83, and a 12-year-old minor, both of La Mesa.
A 2017 Ford F-350, driven by Lt. Prows, was driving west on State Route 246 as well, and was directly behind Ms. Sibani’s car. He had one passenger in his pickup, Sylvia Prows, 51.
When Ms. Sibani slowed to a stop, the off-duty lieutenant allegedly tried to pass on the left, the CHP said. As a result, the right side of his pickup collided with the Honda’s left side.
He “failed to yield and continued driving westbound” on the highway as Ms. Sabani followed behind, attempting to flag him down, the CHP said. After approximately one mile, he pulled over to the right shoulder and came to a stop. Ms. Sabani had called Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies to report a traffic collision, and deputies arrived a short time later. Upon deputies’ arrival, they requested that CHP respond and conduct an investigation.
“CHP arrived and completed a traffic collision investigation, which led to a driving under the influence investigation,” the collision report said. Lt. Prows “was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage.”
UCSB officials have placed Lt. Prows on administrative leave pending the outcome of the CHP investigation and subsequent court case.
email: neilhartstein@newspress.com
