The wrong-way driver in the crash that killed the Vegas police officer was in the US illegally: ICE

The errant driver who killed an off-duty Las Vegas police officer earlier this month was in the US illegally, 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, colliding with the Toyota Corolla of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Officer Colton Pulsipher, 29, in the process. , the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Both men died.

Jimenez-Jimenez, a Mexican citizen, entered the US twice in 2019 “and was returned to Mexico with an order of immediate removal,” a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement told local FOX5.

In January 2020, Jimenez-Jimenez applied for admission to the US through Customs and Border Protection in Brownsville, Texas, but was ordered deported in December 2021 by an immigration judge, ICE said.

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Jimenez-Jimenez was carrying alcohol and containers of marijuana in his truck at the time of the crash, Nevada State Police told FOX5. Toxicology results are pending.

Pulsipher has been with LVMPD since 2017 and was assigned to the visitor safety unit “where he works tirelessly to protect and serve our community,” LVMPD said on Facebook. He was on his way home after his shift when the accident happened.

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Colton Pulsipher's casket appears to be working with him as pallbearers on Dec. 18, 2024. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department/Facebook)

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

The department's subsequent post included photos of his memorial service in Moapa, where he lived, on December 18.

Police pay tribute to Officer Colton Pulsipher who died in a wrong-way accident on Dec. 12, 2024. (Las Vegas Metropolitan 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. “Get some rest, Officer Pulsipher. We got it here.”