LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Body-worn camera footage is showing a first-hand look at the police response to a 12-car collision in northwest Las Vegas that has now killed three people.
Witnesses who spoke with Channel 13 at the scene said it was so forceful that it shook nearby businesses. Some said they thought a bomb had gone off.
On Friday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released body-worn camera footage from two of the officers who first responded to the crash. These videos have been edited for graphic and sensitive content, and viewer discretion is advised.
You can see what officers encountered when they first arrived at the crash:
The circumstances of the crash prompted police to arrest 19-year-old Jose Gutierrez, who they say was traveling at high speeds when the Infiniti sedan he was driving plowed into stopped traffic at the intersection of Cheyenne Avenue and Jones Boulevard on Nov. 18.
Two people were pronounced dead in the immediate aftermath of the crash — 38-year-old Edward Garcia and 20-year-old Adilene Duran Ricon, who was the passenger in Gutierrez's car and has since been identified as his girlfriend.
On Dec. 4, officials with the Clark County Coroner's Office confirmed the death of a third person who was injured in the collision, 25-year-old Vanessa Lainez Vasquez.
This body camera video shows another look at the aftermath of the crash:
Prosecutors with the Clark County District Attorney's Office have charged Gutierrez with murder. They argue the crash was intentional because Gutierrez wanted to end his relationship with his girlfriend, who family members say was pregnant.
An arrest report obtained by Channel 13 later revealed Gutierrez was traveling roughly 100 miles per hour and did not apply brakes as he approached the intersection of Cheyenne and Jones, where the posted speed limit is 45 mph. Investigators described Gutierrez as having red, watery eyes and noted finding a THC vape pen in his pocket.
Gutierrez was arrested after the crash on reckless driving charges, but was later re-booked into jail for two counts of open murder, one count of attempted murder, and one count of battery with a deadly weapon.
Unedited footage as released by LVMPD can be viewed on the department's YouTube page.
