A California driver who claimed he fell asleep at the wheel when he plowed his SUV into a group of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s recruits on a morning run last year, killing one and injuring 24 others, has been charged with 11 felony charges.
Nicholas Gutierrez, 23, was charged with two counts of grossly negligent vehicular manslaughter and nine counts of reckless driving causing great bodily injury in connection with the fatal crash, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
“By bringing formal charges against Nicholas Gutierrez, the legal system takes an important step toward finding justice in this heartbreaking incident,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.
“The goal is to provide a sense of justice and accountability for the lives lost and lives changed forever as a result of this tragic event.”
Gutierrez was arrested after the crash last November in the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier but was released the next day. He was arrested again Thursday.
Nicholas Gutierrez, 23, was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and nine counts of reckless driving in the November 2022 hit-and-run crash in suburban Los Angeles. FOX 11 Los Angeles Gutierrez plowed his Honda CR-V into a group of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Recruits undergoing training. FOX 11 Los Angeles
In a statement, Gutierrez’s lawyer, Alexandra Kazarian, said her client and his family continued to cooperate fully with the investigation.
“Nicolas and his family are deeply saddened by this horrific accident,” Kazarian said in response to the charges filed.
On the morning of Nov. 16, 2022, 76 recruits from the LA County Sheriff’s Department and several local police agencies were training on Mills Avenue when Gutierrez, who was driving southbound, allegedly veered into the northbound lane and crashed into a jogger before crashing into a utility pole, officials said. .
Alejandro Martinez, a 23-year-old Army veteran, died of his injuries 8 months after the crash. Dayanna Martinez
Twenty-five cadets sustained injuries, including severe head injuries and broken limbs. One of them, 23-year-old Alejandro Martinez, a US Army veteran, spent the next eight months surviving in hospital before succumbing to his injuries in July.
“Today’s criminal filing is a step toward justice for the family of Deputy Alejandro Martinez and all of the injured LASD Recruits, many of whom suffered life-changing injuries as a result of this tragic incident,” Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement.
Twenty-four sheriff’s recruits were injured in the crash, nine of them seriously. KTLA 5 Several cadets suffered head injuries and broken bones after being hit by the suspect’s SUV. KTLA 5
Gutierrez insists the crash was an accident, telling KNBC-TV that he fell asleep at the wheel of his Honda CR-V while driving to work as an electrician installing solar panels.
“I woke up to a sound [recruits] banging on the window,” he said. “I didn’t do it on purpose… I hope it never happened. I feel sad that it happened.”
Tests showed that Gutierrez was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
His lawyer previously described the 23-year-old as a “good kid” who lived at home with his parents and spent his days working and going to the gym.
Gutierrez claimed he fell asleep while driving on his way to work. FOX 11 Los Angeles
“He’s not a ‘party guy,'” Kazarian said.
Gutierrez is scheduled to be arraigned next Tuesday. The prosecution will ask the judge to set his bail at $500,000.
If convicted, Gutierrez could face up to 12 years in prison.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
