On a Tuesday afternoon in northwest Las Vegas, a catastrophic chain-reaction crash at the intersection of Cheyenne Avenue and Jones Boulevard left two people dead, several others injured, and a community searching for answers. The driver at the center of the tragedy, 19-year-old Jose Gutierrez, now faces two open murder charges, one attempted murder charge, and a count of battery with the use of a deadly weapon, according to official police and court records reported by KSNV and 8 News Now.
The events unfolded around 3:30 p.m. on November 18, 2025, when Gutierrez, reportedly speeding eastbound on Cheyenne Avenue, failed to stop for a red light and slammed into a line of vehicles waiting at the intersection. Witnesses told officers they believed Gutierrez was driving approximately 100 miles per hour in a zone posted at 45 mph. Surveillance footage obtained by 8 News Now confirmed the car "failed to decrease its speed as it approached" the red light, reinforcing suspicions of reckless and possibly impaired driving.
The aftermath was devastating. Edward Garcia, 38, and Adilene Duran Rincon, 20, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Rincon, Gutierrez’s passenger, was later confirmed by the Clark County coroner’s office to have been pregnant at the time of the crash. Several others were treated for injuries, and the intersection was left strewn with wreckage as flames erupted from one of the vehicles involved.
According to the arrest report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), officers at the hospital noted Gutierrez had bloodshot and watery eyes. Gutierrez denied consuming alcohol or marijuana before the crash, telling officers he "had not consumed alcohol or marijuana in the past week." However, police found a marijuana vape pen in his pocket. The pen, described as having a marijuana leaf emblem and filled with a greenish brown liquid called 'Push Cush,' is commonly used to inhale THC vapor. As the LVMPD noted, "These pens are commonly used to introduce liquid THC into the body, which is transformed into a vapor by the vape pen and then inhaled." Detectives have not ruled out impairment, and two blood samples were taken from Gutierrez for toxicology testing, results of which were still pending as of Thursday.
Initially, Gutierrez faced four counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm. He was hospitalized after the crash and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Wednesday, November 19. In a twist that raised eyebrows among legal observers, Gutierrez posted standard bail on the reckless driving charges and was released without seeing a judge. In Nevada, standard bail allows defendants to post a set amount for each charge, waiving their right to a probable cause hearing. For Gutierrez, that meant paying roughly $3,000 (15% of the $20,000 bail total) through a bail bond company.
However, the situation changed rapidly. On November 20, prosecutors upgraded the charges to two counts of open murder, one count of attempted murder, and battery with the use of a deadly weapon. These new charges do not allow for standard bail, and Gutierrez was re-booked into jail. A court hearing for the murder charges was scheduled for Friday morning, November 21, while Gutierrez remained in police custody and under continuous care at UMC hospital.
The car Gutierrez was driving belonged to Rincon’s mother, according to police documents. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Gutierrez initially denied being the driver but later admitted he was behind the wheel, though he claimed he could not remember the collision itself.
This wasn’t Gutierrez’s first brush with traffic law enforcement. On October 3, 2025, just weeks before the fatal collision, he was cited for speeding—driving 52 mph in a 35-mph zone—near Lone Mountain Road and El Capitan Way in the same vehicle involved in the November 18 crash. The ticket was later reduced to a violation of 40 mph in a 35-mph zone, and Gutierrez’s court date for that infraction was set for January 5, 2026.
Beyond the legal proceedings, the crash has reignited concerns about the safety of the intersection at Cheyenne and Jones. Several residents told 8 News Now they have avoided the area for months, citing an increase in dangerous incidents. Bryan McElfresh, a local, shared, "I try to avoid this intersection. I come in from the backside and have been for months because it’s gotten worse and worse and worst the last four or five months." The sentiment reflects a broader anxiety among community members who have witnessed, or narrowly avoided, similar near-misses at the busy crossroads.
Metro police have asked anyone who witnessed the crash or Gutierrez’s driving beforehand to come forward. Witnesses can contact the LVMPD at 702-828-3595, or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555, visiting CrimeStoppersOfNV.com, or using the mobile app "P3." Investigators are particularly interested in gathering more information about the moments leading up to the collision, as they continue to piece together the full sequence of events.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page for Duran’s family indicated the additional heartbreak that she was pregnant at the time of her death, compounding the tragedy for her loved ones. The community has rallied around the families of both victims, with outpourings of support and calls for greater attention to intersection safety and impaired driving enforcement.
This incident has also thrown a spotlight on Nevada’s evolving bail system. A 2020 Nevada Supreme Court decision altered the requirements for bail, making payment "necessary to reasonably ensure the defendant’s appearance." Yet the rapid sequence of Gutierrez’s initial release and subsequent re-arrest has prompted renewed debate over whether the current system adequately addresses the risks posed by those accused of violent or reckless crimes.
As the investigation continues, and with Gutierrez’s blood test results still pending, the case has become a touchstone for conversations about road safety, the dangers of impaired and reckless driving, and the legal mechanisms designed to balance defendants’ rights with public safety. For now, the families of Edward Garcia and Adilene Duran Rincon are left to mourn, and a community is left to wonder what more can be done to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The coming weeks will see Gutierrez’s case move through the courts, with prosecutors and defense attorneys likely to spar over the evidence of impairment and the circumstances of the crash. But for many in Las Vegas, the scars of that November afternoon will linger long after the headlines fade.
