A man from Gallup, New Mexico, has been indicted on federal charges related to a fatal car accident. According to court documents, Justin Othermedicine, 22, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, is accused of killing John Doe on August 11, 2024, while driving with reckless disregard for life.
Othermedicine faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter and could receive up to eight years in prison if convicted. He will remain on conditions of release pending trial. The date for the trial has not yet been set.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison announced the indictment. "An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," Ellison stated.
The case was investigated by the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations, with assistance from the Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Pahl is prosecuting the case.
