Bloody man walking on road sentenced in fatal 121-mph DUI crash, NV officials say
A man accused of driving at least 121 mph in a wreck that killed his 19-year-old passenger was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Nevada, prosecutors said.
Jose Zepeda-Carmona, 22, will be eligible for parole after eight years, the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office said in an April 4 news release. The sentencing came after Zepeda-Carmona pleaded guilty to driving under the influence resulting in death, prosecutors said.
McClatchy News reached out to his attorney April 8 and was awaiting a response.
The wreck happened in June 2023 in Washoe County, according to prosecutors.
As state troopers headed to the scene, they found Zepeda-Carmona covered in blood, walking in the road , prosecutors said. They determined he “had been driving with a 19-year-old passenger when he drove off the edge of the road while speeding and struck a tree,” according to prosecutors.
The passenger – identified by the medical examiner’s office as Angel Cruzaley-Mendez of Carson City – “was thrown more than 20 feet from the car and was killed,” prosecutors said.
Zepeda-Carmona had marijuana and alcohol in his system, prosecutors said, citing a toxicology report. Troopers determined he “was driving at least 121 mph at the time of the crash,” according to prosecutors.
Cruzaley-Mendez, the passenger, was the father of a 1-year-old girl, cousin Dalia Garcia wrote on a GoFundMe page.
“He was always putting a smile on others and any room he walked into he instantly lit up. He was so full of life and everything he ever did was for his daughter,” Garcia wrote.
Washoe County includes Reno.
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Bloody man walking on road sentenced in fatal 121-mph DUI crash, NV officials say."
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