A wrong-way driver who killed an off-duty police officer earlier this month was under deportation orders from a court, federal officials say.
Fernando Jimenez-Jimenez, 31, drove on the wrong side of the road on I-15 near Las Vegas and hit Las Vegas police officer Colton Pulsipher, 29, head on. Both men died in the crash.
Jimenez, a Mexican national, had been deported from the United States in 2019. He applied to enter the United States in January 2020 in Brownsville, Texas, but never appeared for a hearing in an immigration court scheduled for December 2021. The court placed Jimenez under deportation orders after he missed the hearing, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement authorities told local Las Vegas outlet KVVU.
Jimenez’s whereabouts had been unknown for years until the December 12 crash that killed himself and Pulsipher. Officials investigating the crash found alcohol and marijuana in Jimenez’s car at the scene. A toxicology report on the illegal alien driver has yet to be finalized.
Pulsipher was driving home from a shift in his personal vehicle when he was struck by Jimenez. Pulsipher was a husband and father with three children.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo is one of 26 Republican governors who expressed support for President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans after years of historic immigration under President Joe Biden.
“As Republican governors, we stand united in support of President Donald Trump’s unwavering commitment to make America safe again by addressing the illegal immigration crisis and deporting illegal immigrants who pose a threat to our communities and national security,” the Republican governors said in a joint letter.
“Together, we will continue to defend the American people, uphold the rule of law, and ensure our nation remains safe and secure for future generations. We stand ready to utilize every tool at our disposal—whether through state law enforcement or the National Guard — to support President Trump in this vital mission,” the letter says.
