A 25-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday in a wrong-way crash that resulted in the death of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recruit and injured several others on a training run in Whittier.
Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, of Diamond Bar, pleaded guilty to one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and nine felony counts of reckless driving on a highway causing a specified injury in the November 2022 crash. He also admitted to all allegations, prosecutors said.
The court imposed a sentence as part of a negotiated plea. Gutierrez will be placed on probation for the maximum term of five years, under conditions set by the court. If he violates any of those conditions, the court will be obligated to impose a full 8-year prison term.
The Nov. 16, 2022 crash occurred as 76 members of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Academy Class 464 were on their training run on Mills Avenue in the southeastern LA County community. Gutierrez was traveling south on Mills Avenue and crossed into northbound lanes, striking several recruits.
Detectives determined there was no evidence that indicated the crash was intentional. Gutierrez likely fell asleep at the wheel and drifted across lanes, investigators said.
For the first time, we hear from the driver who crashed into a class of LA County Sheriff’s recruits on a training run. Colleen Williams reports for the NBC4 News on Nov. 21, 2022.
When he spoke with NBCLA in a 2022 interview, Gutierrez described the crash as an unfortunate accident. He said he fell asleep at the wheel.
“I didn’t intentionally do it,” Gutierrez said, adding that he fell asleep on his way to work. “I wish it never happened. I feel bad it happened.”
Twenty-five recruits were injured, including 10 who suffered serious injuries. Recruit Alejandro Martinez-Inzunza died eight months later in July 2023.
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