The family of a Duluth police officer finally gets justice after the man who injured him in a DUI crash last year was sentenced to jail time.
On August 2021, Officer Ricky Porter was critically injured when his patrol SUV was hit by a truck that slammed into the driver’s side. According to the initial report released by the Gwinnett County Police Department, the officer was driving northbound just after 4 a.m. near Abbots Bridge Road when the driver of a Ram 3500 ran a red light and struck the officer's car.
The driver of the vehicle left the scene and ran away. Hours later Eduardo Gutierrez, 32, of Americus, was arrested. Investigators identified his fingerprints found in the truck left at the scene.
Now Gutierrez has been sentenced to ten years in prison, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After serving jail time, he also faces 10 years of probation and possible deportation, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The family of Porter has maintained that Porter’s injuries may have worsened because Gutierrez left the scene and did not give him any aid. Porter was left sitting in his patrol vehicle for 16 minutes before anyone called 911.
Now Porter suffers from brain injuries and cannot remember the last 15 years of his life, according to his family, who adds that he may not ever be able to work again.
Gutierrez pleaded guilty to all six charges, including driving under the influence of alcohol.
