Posted on: December 24, 2024, 08:22h.
Last updated on: December 24, 2024, 08:25h.
The motorist who recently drove the wrong way on I-15 — causing the death of a Nevada police officer and his own demise — was in America illegally, according to news reports.
Both Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Officer Colton Pulsipher and the other driver, Fernando Jimenez, perished at the scene of the December 12 collision.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency told Nevada news outlets this week that Jimenez entered the U.S. twice illegally during 2019 and was ordered to return to Mexico both times.
He did apply for U.S. citizenship in 2020, but an immigration judge in Texas ruled he should leave the U.S.
Head-On Crash
Jimenez, 31, was heading the wrong way on the highway’s northbound lanes when, at about 12:30 a.m., his Ford F-150 truck struck a car operated by Pulsipher, 29, near Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park.
Pulsipher had just finished a shift, was off-duty, and was returning home in his personal vehicle when the head-on crash took place on I-15.
Police later searched Jimenez’s truck and found “several containers of alcohol and marijuana packages,” Las Vegas TV station KLAS reported.
It remains unclear if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the collision. Toxicology test results undertaken by the Clark County coroner’s office aren’t yet available.
Contributions for Fallen Officer’s Family
Behind the Blue (BTB), an organization that provides assistance to the families of fallen and injured officers, is raising money online for Pulsipher’s wife, Ashlee, and three children, Carlee, 5, Brett, 2, and Jonny, who is just 11 months old.
We are coming together as a community to support Ashlee and her children,” BTB said in an online fundraising page. “Your contributions will assist with immediate expenses and provide financial relief as they navigate this heartbreaking new chapter… This unimaginable loss has left his family grieving and in need of our support during this difficult time.”
Jimenez Had Lived in Mexico
Jimenez, who is survived by four children and a wife, also was remembered fondly by a relative.
“He was a good man. He isn’t one to give or look for any trouble. He was a very good person,” Jimenez’s brother-in-law, Marcelino Heredia Hernandez, told Las Vegas TV station KSNV.
While in Mexico, Jimenez lived in the state of Chiapas, which is known for its poverty.
“In Chiapas, there is so much poverty and violence. He came here in hopes of giving his family a better life,” Hernandez said.
