‘Sleeper’ driver who hit 25 Los Angeles sheriff’s cadets, killing one, charged a year later

A California driver who claimed he was asleep at the wheel when he crashed 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 counts. of serious crimes.

Nicholas Gutierrez, 23, was charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and nine counts of reckless driving causing great bodily injury in connection with the deadly wrong-way crash, the County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. of the Angels.

“By filing formal charges against Nicholas Gutiérrez, the legal system takes a significant step toward seeking 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 the 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 on Thursday.

Nicholas Gutierrez, 23, was charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter and nine counts of reckless driving in the wrong-way crash that occurred in November 2022 in suburban Los Angeles. FOX 11 Los Angeles Gutiérrez crashed his Honda CR-V into a group of people in Los Angeles County. Sheriff’s recruits who were training. FOX 11 Los Angeles

In a statement, Gutierrez’s attorney, Alexandra Kazarian, said her client and his family continue to cooperate fully with the investigation.

“Nicolas and his family are beyond devastated by this horrible and tragic accident,” Kazarian said in response to the charges filed.

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On the morning of November 16, 2022, 76 recruits from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and several local police agencies were conducting training on Mills Avenue when Gutierrez, who was driving southbound, allegedly veered into the southbound lanes. north and collided head-on. into runners before crashing into a pole, authorities said.

Alejandro Martínez, a 23-year-old Army veteran, died from his injuries 8 months after the accident. Dayana Martinez

Twenty-five cadets suffered injuries, including serious head injuries and broken limbs. One of them, Alejandro Martinez, 23, a U.S. Army veteran, spent the next eight months clinging to life in the hospital before succumbing to his injuries in July.

“Today’s felony filings are a step toward justice for the family of Officer Alejandro Martinez and all injured LASD recruits, many of whom suffered life-altering injuries due to this tragic incident,” the officer said. Sheriff Robert Luna in a statement.

Twenty-four sheriff’s recruits were injured in the accident, nine of them seriously. KTLA 5 Some cadets suffered head injuries and broken bones after being hit by the suspect’s truck.KTLA 5

Gutierrez has maintained that the crash was an accident and told KNBC-TV that he fell asleep at the wheel of his Honda CR-V while driving to his job as an electrician installing solar panels.

“I woke up to the sound of [recruits] Banging on the windows,” he said. “I didn’t do it intentionally… I wish it had never happened. “I feel bad about what happened.”

Tests showed that Gutierrez was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident.

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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.

Gutiérrez claimed that he fell asleep at the wheel on the way to work. FOX 11 Los Angeles

“He’s not a ‘party animal,’” Kazarian said.

Gutiérrez is scheduled to be arraigned next Tuesday. Prosecutors will ask the judge to set his bail at $500,000.

If convicted, Gutiérrez could face up to 12 years in prison.

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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