Man to Stand Trial in Wrong-Way Crash

Tom Darby

Reno, Nev. — A Reno man is to stand trial next week in connection with a wrong-way DUI crash on Plumb Lane that left three people seriously injured and sparked a vehicle fire.

Victor Ledezma-Caballero is going on trial Monday, Jan. 12, for a head-on collision that occurred near Hunter Lake Drive on Dec. 13, 2023. Investigators say Ledezma-Caballero was driving under the influence when his vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic, triggering a fiery crash that sent three people to the hospital.

According to authorities, Ledezma-Caballero turned himself in approximately six months after the crash. He faces two felony counts of DUI causing substantial bodily harm and one misdemeanor count of failing to drive on the right half of the roadway. The trial will last seven days.

Two of the victims, Ledezma-Caballero’s passenger and another driver, suffered life-altering injuries. His passenger sustained severe burns and later underwent an arm amputation.

One of the injured motorists, Robert Murray, spoke publicly for the first time following Ledezma-Caballero’s arrest, releasing a statement describing the lasting impact of the crash.

Murray said he was driving to work early that morning, just two blocks from his home, when someone struck him head-on. He does not remember the crash itself but recalls waking up on the ground as bystanders worked to extinguish the fire and pull him from his vehicle.

Murray spent 21 days in the hospital and underwent five surgeries. He said his right leg was crushed from ankle to hip, with the engine block forced into his lap.

He also suffered a compound wrist fracture, a broken sternum, internal injuries that required an ostomy bag, and a traumatic brain injury that permanently damaged his peripheral vision. Murray said he and his family remained silent for months while the investigation continued, even as misinformation circulated online and the case became divisive.

Prosecutors say they will argue Ledezma-Caballero’s alleged impairment directly caused the crash and the severe injuries that followed.