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A 22-year-old man from Diamond Bar allegedly crashed into a group of LA county sheriff’s department recruits in Whittier. The incident occurred on November 16, 2022, at 6.25 am in LA County. While many have been affected, some are suspected to be gravely injured. A video of the incident has since gone viral.
Trigger Warning: The following video may contain disturbing content. Viewers’ discretion is advised.
According to Capt. Sheila Kelliher of the LA County Fire Department, the driver, was driving on the wrong side of the road. The driver, Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, was identified immediately after the crash from a nearby surveillance camera footage. Authorities believe the crash was intentional and not merely an accident.
Many recruits critically injured in the Whittier crash
On November 16, 2022, a set of 75 sheriff’s recruits was on their regular morning run, during which an SUV struck the group. According to CBS Los Angeles, this horrific Whittier crash injured around 25 recruits, and five are being treated for critical injuries.
In the surveillance footage, the police identified the driver, Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez, and he was immediately detained. His bail was supposedly set at $2 million.
Shortly after, at 3.15 pm, Gutierrez was arrested on the grounds of an assault with a deadly weapon. It was also assumed that he was under the effect of a recreational drug.
According to LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, the crash may have looked like an accident, but a deeper investigation is on. Investigators are subsequently assuming the driver intentionally drove the wrong way and ran into the trainees.
The police officials are trying to develop a case against the driver Gutierrez, but he had to be released at 9.49 pm on November 17, 2022. As per California Penal Code 849(b)(1), he could not be held in custody for more than 48 hours without being presented to the prosecutors.
The Whittier crash is one of the most terrible cars crashes that the area has seen
Angelica Musick, the girlfriend of one of the injured trainees, told Good Day LA,
“Several of his classmates were severely injured…”
Authorities also believe that a nearby light pole prevented the accident from escalating. A witness named Joseph, spoke to ABC7,
“The car was completely wrecked, like the whole front end was done…”
The driver was also asked to take a field sobriety test, and he supposedly blew a 0.0. Alex Villanueva further told NewsNation,
“Right now, we want to tie up all the loose ends on the case and then present it to the D.A.”
He also mentioned that the recruits had received no warning and that the car had just crashed into the group.
Capt. Kelliher has said,
“My heart goes out to all of them as they pursue their career. I hope they all have speedy recoveries and that they’re in good shape.”
The whole incident is under thorough investigation at the moment.
