A California driver who claimed he was 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 hit with 11 felony counts.
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 Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
“By bringing formal charges against Nicholas Gutierrez, the legal system takes a significant step towards seeking justice in this heartbreaking incident,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.
“The aim is to provide a sense of justice and accountability for the lives lost and the lives forever changed as a result of this tragic event.”
Gutierrez was arrested after the crash last November in Los Angeles suburb of Whittier but was released the next day. He was re-arrested Thursday.
In a statement, Gutierrez’ attorney Alexandra Kazarian said her client and his family continue to fully cooperate with the investigation.
“Nicolas and his family are beyond devastated about this horrifically tragic accident,” Kazarian said in response to the charges being filed.
On the morning of Nov. 16, 2022, 76 recruits from the LA County Sheriff’s Department and several local police agencies were on a training run on Mills Avenue when Gutierrez, who was driving southbound, allegedly veered into the northbound lanes and slammed head-on into the joggers before crashing into a pole, officials said.
Twenty-five cadets suffered injuries, including severe head injuries and broken limbs. One of them, 23-year-old Alejandro Martinez, a US Army veteran, spent the next 8 months clinging to life in the hospital before succumbing to his injuries in July.
“The felony filings today are a step towards justice for the family of Deputy Alejandro Martinez and all the LASD Recruits who were injured, many of whom have life-altering injuries sustained because of this tragic incident,” Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement.
Gutierrez has maintained that 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 the sound of [recruits] banging on the windows,” he said. “I didn’t intentionally do it… I wish it never happened. I feel bad it happened.”
Tests showed that Gutierrez was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
His attorney 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.
“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.