Motorcyclist charged with homicide in fatal Omaha DUI crash that cost him his leg

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A man with a previous DUI conviction is facing charges after the motorcycle he was driving crashed into a pick-up last May.

Cody Dvorak was in Douglas County Court on Thursday facing charges of motor-vehicle homicide with a prior conviction of driving under the influence.

Court documents state that the May 7 crash at 60th and Frederick streets occurred when Dvorak’s motorcycle crashed into the back of a pickup truck. The pickup driver, initially traveling eastbound on Frederick Street, pulled onto 60th Street, driving slowly in anticipation of a right turn into a nearby apartment complex.

That’s when the collision happened.

Video surveillance from a home several houses away was grainy, but showed the pickup driving through — but out of view — before the motorcycle came along at a high rate of speed as compared to other vehicles that were also traveling south.

The motorcycle crashed into the rear driver’s side door, but the crash was not seen on video, court documents state. As a result of the impact, the motorcycle slid about 35 feet to a raised median curb, then slid down the curb another 43 feet, the documents state.

Police determined speed and alcohol were factors in the collision.

According to the reports, Dvorak admitted to rescue personnel that he had been drinking. He eventually tested .312 blood-alcohol content and tested positive for benzodiazepines and cannabinoids.

It was also discovered during the course of the investigation that he had been convicted of DUI on July 24, 2018.

Dvorak’s passenger, 27-year-old Brandi Stuart, sustained several broken bones, including a broken neck, and suffered a brain bleed. She died from her injuries three days later, according to the court documents.

He was also severely injured, sustaining a broken leg with vascular damage that eventually led to him having his leg amputated; as well as a broken scapula and a sternum fracture.

The 22-year-old pickup driver and 23-year-old passenger were not injured in the crash.

If convicted, Dvorak could be sentenced to up to 50 years in prison.

His bond was set at $10,000. The preliminary hearing was scheduled for the morning of April 11.

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Correction: A previous version of this story contained the incorrect age of one of the crash victims. 6 News regrets the error.