A teenager from Nevada has been charged with deliberately causing a crash involving twelve vehicles that resulted in the deaths of his pregnant girlfriend and another motorist, after barreling into traffic at a staggering 160 mph.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson announced to the press that 19-year-old Jose Gutierrez was sober at the time of the incident, which occurred on November 18 in Las Vegas. He was reportedly racing down the street at only 45 mph moments earlier, but then accelerated drastically.
The DA’s office noted that evidence suggests Gutierrez didn’t even try to hit the brakes before colliding with a line of cars that were stopped at a red light. The crash claimed the lives of his girlfriend, Adileen Duran Rincon, 20, and another driver, Edward Garcia, 38.
“From the evidence we have so far, including some very clear video footage, we firmly believe his actions were intentional, which justifies the murder charge,” Wolfson stated.
At the time of the collision, Gutierrez was driving a silver 2011 Infiniti G37 with Rincon. They crashed into stopped vehicles at the intersection of Cheyenne Avenue and North Jones Boulevard. According to local reports, Rincon and Garcia died on the spot, while a third victim was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
Shortly after the incident, police found a marijuana vape pen on Gutierrez, and they noted that his eyes appeared bloodshot upon his arrest. However, the district attorney maintained that he was not impaired when the crash happened.
Due to the circumstances, prosecutors have elevated charges against Gutierrez from reckless driving resulting in death or severe injury to murder, attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon.
Interestingly, it was revealed that the car Gutierrez was driving was registered to Rincon’s mother.
This crash wasn’t Gutierrez’s first run-in with the law; records indicate he previously collided with an elderly woman in September after failing to stop at a sign. He had also received a speeding ticket a month prior for driving 52 mph in a 35 mph zone.
In April, he was arrested for allegedly threatening police officers who responded to a domestic violence report, with claims that he exclaimed, “I’m going to kill you” among other threats.
Currently, Gutierrez is being held without bail, and he is set to appear in court again for an arraignment on January 6th.
