Procedure under scrutiny; Las Cruces nurse facing tampering, homicide charges
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- A 31-year-old Las Cruces nurse is facing some serious charges after allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road, crashing into an oncoming car in the north part of Las Cruces.
That crash happened on Dec. 2 on Roadrunner Parkway. According to court documents, the nurse tried getting a fellow nurse to dilute the alcohol content in her blood after police failed to obtain a breathalyzer test on her at the scene of the accident.
According to court documents obtained by ABC-7, on Dec. 2nd John Signore was driving south on Roadrunner Parkway. Iliana Salayandia was driving north on the wrong side of the road. That’s when both collided and both were taken to Memorial Medical Center.
Signore was pronounced dead at the hospital. Salayandia was treated for her injuries.
Court documents show Sayalandia was wearing a face mask and no alcohol was detected. No breathalyzer was conducted.”
Sayalandia admitted to having a margarita at a local restaurant. After the scene was processed, it was learned no breathalyzer was conducted, so a judge approved a search warrant for Sayalandia’s blood using a blood kit.
According to court documents, an AMR ambulance employee overheard Sayalandia requesting a Bolus IV to dilute the alcohol in her system. The toxicology report returned with high levels of Ethanol, or alcohol, in Sayalandia’s system.
As a result, the 31-year-old faces charges of driving under the influence vehicular homicide as well as tampering with evidence.
Tampering with evidence is a third or fourth-degree felony. A spokesman with Memorial Medical Center released the following statement: "We are deeply saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family who lost a loved one. At Memorial Medical Center, we take allegations related to our employees very seriously and cooperate fully with the investigating authorities. However, our policy is to maintain strict confidentiality on all matters related to our patients and employees. Therefore, we are unable to discuss the circumstances around this situation."
