ER nurse recalls trying to save baby’s life after deadly DUI crash: 'Instinctively, I grabbed the baby'

TAMPA, Fla. - A Lakeland father accused of driving under the influence and causing a crash that killed his five-month-old daughter in October asked to be released on bond during a hearing on Tuesday.     

Investigators say Arturo Guerrero was high on drugs at the time of the crash and his infant daughter wasn’t properly restrained in her car seat. 

Prosecutors say in the early morning hours of October 5, 2023, Guerrero was behind the wheel of a white Volvo with his five-month-old child sitting in the back of the vehicle in her car seat. 

As he headed northbound on County Line 39 Near State Rd. 60, prosecutors say he swerved into oncoming traffic on the southbound lane. 

Prosecutors say Arturo Guerrero was high on drugs at the time of the crash. 

Courtney Vickers had just gotten off work as an ER nurse and watched the crash happen right in front of her.

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"I observed it swerve once into the opposite lane so the southbound lane, serve back, and then collide with the vehicle directly in front of me," she recalled.

Guerrero had hit a Nissan Altima head-on. 

Vickers immediately pulled over and saw Guerrero holding a baby.

Courtney Vickers explained to a judge how she tried to save the baby's life following the crash. 

"Instinctively, I grabbed the baby," Vickers explained. "He asked if she was okay. I said I didn’t know. Just give her to me. So, I put her down on the ground. I listened for her heart rate with my stethoscope. She was breathing in a way that…is very near death. Her heart rate was very slow, so I began compressions." 

However, despite all the efforts to save her, the baby died of her injuries. The others involved in the crash sustained serious injuries but survived. 

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HCSO lead detective Bryce Driscoll told the court, the first officer at the scene, noted Guerrero showed signs of impairment.

"She advised that she observed bloodshot eyes, a lethargic demeanor and the odor of marijuana emanating from his breath," Driscoll stated. 

Arturo Guerrero sits in a courtroom during a bond hearing. 

After weighing all the evidence, Tampa Judge Laura Ward set a bond of more than $140,000. 

If he should make bond, he will be on house arrest, wear a GPS ankle monitor, and won’t be allowed to drive. 

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She also handed down a harsh truth before wrapping up the hearing.

"Unfortunately for your baby, there’s nothing I can put in place to protect her because, unfortunately, she’s no longer with us," said Judge Ward. 

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