Lt. Brad Prows, who’s suspended, agrees to plea in exchange for dismissal of other charges
The suspended UCSB Police lieutenant charged in a misdemeanor DUI and hit-and-run incident in Solvang in August pleaded no contest Thursday to driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level greater than .08, the legal limit.
Lt. Brad Prows, 60, of Buellton, was supposed to be arraigned on three charges Thursday, but instead he pleaded no contest to one of the charges in exchange for prosecutors dismissing the two other charges, one for simple driving under the influence of alcohol and one for hit-and-run.
He did not appear in court Thursday, so his attorney, J. Jeff Chambliss, entered the no contest plea for him, prosecutor Richard Chou told the News-Press.
Lt. Prows was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail unless he is approved for alternative sentencing under the sheriff’s work alternative program, which means wearing an electronic ankle bracelet for 30 days, prosecutor Chou said.
He must apply for alternative sentencing by Feb. 16 but could receive an extension. If he’s not approved for alternative sentencing, he would have to report to serve his 30-day jail term by May 16, but again he could apply for an extension.
In addition, Lt. Prows was placed on three years probation. For the first year, he is forbidden from drinking alcohol. Afterward, he must refrain from excessive drinking for two years and not shop at any store where alcohol is the main item for sale. He also is barred from drinking and driving for the entire three years of his probation.
And he was ordered to pay restitution to the owner of the car he sideswiped in the Aug. 7 hit-and-run. No one was injured.
Lt. Prows, who headed the UCSB detectives bureau at the time, was charged with hitting the car of a Solvang woman, then leaving the scene without stopping. The complaint filed against him said his blood alcohol level was .15 at the time, nearly twice the legal limit.
He was arrested Aug. 7 after driving a pickup that hit the left side of a car whose driver was attempting to park, 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 traveling 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 heading 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 the 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.”
His attorney, Mr. Chambliss, declined comment Thursday.
UCSB officials placed Lt. Prows on administrative leave pending the outcome of the CHP investigation and subsequent court case. They did not return a phone call Thursday seeking comment, including whether he will keep his job or be terminated.
email: neilhartstein@newspress.com
