los angeles — Driver rescinded his guilty plea to charges related to A Crash in the wrong direction That led to the death of an LAPD recruit and the wounding of other recruits who were on the run, his lawyer said Saturday.
Nicholas Gutierrez, of Diamond Bar, withdrew his plea after more than a dozen victims of the accident spoke in court Friday and the judge decided to sentence him to a year in prison, said attorney Alexandra Kazarian.
“Based on the fact that he was diagnosed with a seizure disorder, we have withdrawn our plea and will go to trial,” Kazarian said.
In a deal With prosecutors, Gutierrez agreed to an eight-year suspended sentence and five years’ probation for pleading guilty to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and nine counts of reckless driving causing injury.
A message seeking comment was sent to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Gutierrez was driving an SUV that veered onto the wrong side of the road in suburban Whittier in 2022, striking 25 recruits who were out on a morning walk, authorities said. They were part of a large group that was running in formation.
The investigation concluded that Gutierrez appeared to have fallen asleep at the wheel, authorities said. Ten recruits were seriously injured, including… Alejandro MartinezWho died of his wounds eight months later.