Sheriff's recruit dies 8 months after being struck by wrong-way driver while jogging

A sheriff's recruit who was gravely injured after a wrong-way driver plowed his SUV into a group of dozens of recruits out for a run in Los Angeles County has died eight months after the crash, authorities said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department recruit Alejandro Martinez, 27, succumbed to his injuries on Friday, the agency said.

"Surrounded by his family, friends, Sheriff [Robert] Luna, and other department members in support of his family, Alejandro has now gone to his eternal resting place," the sheriff's department said in a statement. "Tragically, he was not able to fulfill his calling of helping others."

Funeral services are pending and no further information is being released at this time, a sheriff's department spokesperson said.

Martinez was one of 25 recruits injured after being struck by an SUV on Nov. 16, 2022, in the city of Whittier while on an early-morning training run, authorities said. The driver was going the wrong way down the street when he collided with the group at around 6:29 a.m., officials said at the time.

About 75 recruits were on the run. Most were LA County Sheriff's Department recruits, while others were from nearby police departments, including Pasadena and Glendale.

The driver, 23-year-old Nicholas Gutierrez, was initially arrested for suspicion of attempted murder on a peace officer, but was later released from the LA County jail "due to the extreme complexity of the investigation, which includes ongoing interviews, video surveillance review, and additional evidence needed to be analyzed," the LA County Sheriff's Department said at the time.

The cause of the crash wasn't immediately known. Then-LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at the time that it looked to be a "horrific accident." Gutierrez blew a 0.0 on a Breathalyzer test, according to Villanueva.

Gutierrez has not been charged in the incident.

The California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation into the crash.

"The CHP continues to actively conduct a fair and impartial investigation to determine the cause of the crash and Gutierrez's criminal culpability," CHP said in a statement on Saturday. "Currently, there are no further updates to provide."