Drunk Driver Charged with Assault After Crash Hospitalizes Victim

A Tuscaloosa man was arrested and charged with felony assault after he reportedly caused a wreck while driving drunk that seriously injured a second person Sunday.

Stephanie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Tuscaloosa Police Department, said officers responded to a major collision at the intersection of Lurleen Wallace Boulevard North and University Boulevard in downtown Tuscaloosa around 8:30 Sunday night.

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Police believe the suspect, 27-year-old Jimmy Alan Brooks, was driving a Toyota Tundra on Lurleen Wallace Boulevard when he crashed into the side of a Chevrolet Cruze on University Boulevard.

The driver of the Chevy, a 47-year-old man, was badly injured in the wreck and is still being treated at DCH Regional Medical Center for life-threatening injuries, Taylor said.

Investigators with TPD's Accident Reconstruction Unit looked into the wreck and ultimately determined Brooks was intoxicated at the time of the collision and was not in compliance with ignition interlock device requirements in place after a previous incident.

He was charged for both of those infractions, but also with first-degree assault, a Class B felony that can carry a 20-year prison sentence.

Brooks was booked in the Tuscaloosa County Jail, where his bond was set at $45,000.

Charges against him may be made more serious if the victim does not survive his injuries.

Stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread for updates on this case if they are made available in the future.