A 19-year-old man accused in a devastating multi-vehicle crash in Las Vegas that left two people dead will remain held without bail. Jose Gutierrez was present at a Las Vegas Justice Court hearing where a judge determined he would stay in custody, as reported by News 3 Las Vegas. The crash, which happened on November 18, resulted in the deaths of his passenger, 20-year-old Adilene Duran Rincon, who was 11 weeks pregnant, and 38-year-old Edward Garcia.
During the hearing, Gutierrez's attorney argued that the defendant has suffered from a history of seizures, which might have led to the fatal high-speed event. Despite this claim, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson believes the crash was intentional, as evidenced by the vehicle's speed at impact: "The vehicle he was operating would have slowed or decreased speed and possibly drifted to one side of the roadway," if a seizure had occurred, News 3 Las Vegas described the police report’s contents. A trace amount of cannabinoids, under the legal limit, was also found in Gutierrez's blood draw.
The prosecution has charged Gutierrez with two counts of murder in relation to the incident, with the contention that if Gutierrez regularly suffered from medical episodes, he should not have been driving. According to a FOX5 Vegas report, prosecutors allege Gutierrez caused the crash that involved 12 cars and caused multiple injuries. The defense is planning to assemble medical records to support their argument of a medical episode preceding the crash.
Gutierrez, denied bail, is scheduled to make another court appearance on December 9 at 9:30 a.m. The gravity of the situation has cast a shadow over the community as the defendant, and his legal counsel, prepare to defend against the charges that carry with them the weight of loss and accusation, "prosecutors believe he caused the crash intentionally," as noted by FOX5 Vegas.
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