Louisville man charged with assault after police say victim paralyzed from DUI crash

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville man is charged with assault after police said he was involved in a DUI crash that left another man permanently paralyzed from a broken back.

According to court documents, 23-year-old Ricardo Piura was arrested by Louisville Metro Police officers early Thursday morning.

The crash took place on Friday, April 28. Police said Piura was driving under the influence when he ran a red light at the intersection of Outer Loop and Preston Highway and was involved in a crash.

The victim was a back-seat passenger in the vehicle.

Both Piura and the victim were injured and were transported to University of Louisville Hospital. The victim's injuries were life-threatening, according to police.

Court documents indicate that Piura smelled of alcohol and admitted that he'd been drinking at a bar before the crash. Police said a toxicology report showed his blood-alcohol content to be .184, more than twice the legal limit.

According to police, the victim suffered permanent paralysis after his back was broken in the crash.

Piura is charged with first-degree assault, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, first-degree criminal mischief, failure of a vehicle owner to maintain required insurance and disregarding a traffic control device.

He's currently being held in Louisville Metro Corrections and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning.