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

A wrong-way driver who killed an off-duty Las Vegas police officer earlier this month was in the U.S. illegally, federal officials told local media outlets.

On Dec. 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 U.S. twice in 2019 "and was returned to Mexico on an order of expedited removal," a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told local FOX5.

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

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Jimenez-Jimenez had alcohol and marijuana containers in his truck when the crash happened, Nevada State Police told FOX5. Toxicology results are pending. 

Pulsipher had been with LVMPD since 2017 and was assigned to the tourist safety division traffic bureau "where he worked tirelessly to protect and serve our community," LVMPD said on Facebook. He was heading home after his shift when the crash happened.

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

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

"Officer Pulsipher served with courage, integrity, and dedication, always putting the safety of others before his own," the LVMPD post said. "Rest easy, Officer Pulsipher. We’ve got it from here."