‘Can I please light this cigarette?’: Police video captures response of alleged drunk driver as passenger screams at scene of fatal crash
‘Please,’ woman asks as friend cries in pain
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Police video has revealed the moment an alleged drunk driver accused of causing a crash that killed a mother of four in New Mexico asked police to smoke a cigarette in the immediate aftermath.
Jennifer Munoz, 26, is accused of causing the collision that killed Janelle Katesigwa and left her passenger screaming in pain in May on a road in Albuquerque.
Video recording during the aftermath of the collision obtained by KRQE shows the woman asking an officer if she can smoke a cigarette while emergency responders attempt to help her friend.
“Can I just smoke a cigarette?” Ms Munoz purportedly says. “I would not do that right now,” the officer told her in response. “Please,” she asks again.
“Let them try to help your friend,” the officer said as a girl can be heard screaming outside of the video shot.
“Can I please light this cigarette?” the woman later asks an officer again. “No you can not,” they reply. “Why not?” she pushes.
Ms Munoz was allegedly going 50mph over the speed limit and ran a red light before she collided with Ms Katesigwa's car.
According to KRQE police retrieved a warrant to search the car and allegedly found a bottle and flask of tequila, beer and a jar holding capsules of THC.
Ms Katesigwa had been heading to work at McDonald's when the crash occurred. Reports said that she died on impact.
“In the moment, my body was frozen,” Ms Katesigwa’s husband, Silver Katesigwa, told the local outlet. “I couldn’t believe that my wife was gone.”
When Ms Munoz’s blood was reportedly taken five hours after the crash and her levels were allegedly still almost double the legal limit.
The 26-year-old has been charged with vehicular homicide and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center while she awaits trial. She is facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
“We are going to be in pain for the rest of our lives,” Mr Katesigwa said. “This has changed our lives.”