Wrong-way driver in crash that killed Vegas police officer was in US illegally: ICE

The wrong-way driver who killed an off-duty Las Vegas police officer earlier this month in the United States illegally, Federal officials told local media.

On December 12, Fernando Jimenez Jimenez, 31, drove a Ford F150 the wrong way on the northbound side of Interstate 15, striking the Toyota Corolla of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Colton Pulsifer, 29, in the process. , the The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Both men died.

Jimenez Jimenez, a Mexican citizen, entered the United States twice in 2019 and “was returned to Mexico with an expedited removal order,” a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told local FOX5.

In January 2020, Jimenez-Jiménez applied for entry into the United States with Customs and Border Protection in brownsville, texas, An immigration judge ordered his deportation in December 2021, ICE said.

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Officer Colton Pulsipher had been with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department since 2017. He served in the Traffic Bureau's Tourist Safety Division, the department said on Facebook. (Las Vegas Police Department/Facebook)

Jimenez Jimenez had containers of alcohol and marijuana in his truck when the accident occurred, Nevada State Police said He told FOX5. Toxicology results are pending.

Pulsipher has been with LVMPD since 2017 and was assigned to Traffic Office, Tourist Safety Section “He worked tirelessly to protect and serve our community,” LVMPD said on Facebook. He was returning home after finishing his shift when the accident occurred.

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Officer Colton Pulsipher's casket is seen with fellow officers as pallbearers on December 18, 2024. (Las Vegas Police Department/Facebook)

He left behind a wife and three young children, LVMPD said on Facebook.

A subsequent department post included photos from his memorial service in Moapa, where he lived, on December 18.

Officers pay their respects to Officer Colton Pulsipher who was killed in a wrong-way crash on December 12, 2024. (Las Vegas Police Department/Facebook)

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“Officer Pulsipher served with courage, integrity and dedication, always putting the safety of others before his own,” the LVMPD post said. “Be calm, Officer Pulsipher. We get it from here.”