Man who killed motorcyclist in street race sentenced to 7 years

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- A Las Cruces judge just sentenced 38-year-old Jason Salais to seven years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.

A jury acquitted Salais of first-degree murder and second-degree murder, but convicted him of involuntary manslaughter in the 2022 death of Jose Gomez.

On February 25, 2022, Las Cruces Police say Gomez was hit while riding a motorcycle near the intersection of University Avenue and Knox Street.

"In the investigation, witnesses described that initially [it] appeared that the motorcycle and SUV were racing, but that the Ford SUV driven by Salais was seen making a U-Turn at Espina Street and University Ave. and struck a vehicle while attempting to speed after the motorcycle," a spokesperson for the Third Judicial District Attorney explained. "The SUV driven by Salais was speeding on the opposite side of the roadway, running a red light toward the motorcycle, hitting it. After hitting the motorcycle, the SUV crashed into other vehicles in the roadway."

Gomez died at the scene and officers charged Salais and booked him into jail.