Prosecutors told a court last week that an 18-year-old driver intentionally caused a 12-car pileup up at a Las Vegas traffic light last week, killing his pregnant girlfriend and the driver of one of the other vehicles.
They said they plan to charge 19-year-old Jose Gutierrez with murder, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
“We believe he was not impaired by alcohol or drugs and therefore we believe, based upon all the evidence to date, including a very descriptive video, that his actions were intentional, which gives rise to a charge of murder,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said on Friday.
Adilene Duran Rincon, 20, and Edward Garcia, 38, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash last Tuesday, and another person was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Rincon was a passenger in Gutierrez’s Infiniti coupe.
Wolfson said Gutierrez’s view was not restricted and he did not appear to brake as he approached the traffic light at a high rate of speed.
Witnesses told police he appeared to be traveling around 100 mph, although they did not saw where the witnesses were that they could make that determination.
Wolfson told reporters after the hearing that there was “a very descriptive video” of the incident, according to KSNV.
“All indications are that there was no braking before the collision, and that by itself gives rise to a degree of intentional conduct,” Wolfson said.
A criminal complaint later showed that Gutierrez was charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, reckless driving, and battery, the Review-Journal said.
Hearing Master Daniel Westmeyer found probable cause for Gutierrez’s arrest but delayed a bail hearing until after after arraignment. Gutierrez is due back in court on Tuesday.
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[Featured image: Jose Gutierrez in court Friday/KSNV screenshot]
