A 37-year-old driver of a Mercedes Benz ran a red light, sped through an intersection in Windsor Hills, outside Los Angeles, on August 4, and crashed into several vehicles. She was released from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, after recovering from her injuries, and taken into custody.
Nicole Lorraine Linton, a registered nurse, will be charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, after the crash, which occurred at the intersection of Slauson and La Brea Avenues, killed six people, including a pregnant mother, identified by the coroner’s office asAsherey Ryan, 23, her unborn child, her toddler son, and other victims whose information has not been released to the public.
Linton was allegedly drunk and speeding when she crossed the intersection.
A California Highway Patrol (CHP) statement said: “While driving the Mercedes, Linton proceeded through a red light and collided into multiple vehicles traveling eastbound and westbound on Slauson Avenue. As a result of this collision, multiple parties were ejected and two vehicles were fully engulfed in flames.”
The statement also said that the victims were transported to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and six people were declared dead. The models of the vehicles could not be determined owing to extensive fire damage. The collision caused a chain reaction involving several other cars, ejecting passengers from their vehicles. The damaged Mercedes stopped close to a bench on the street.
A somber vigil was held Friday evening to honor the victims.
Linton is being held on $9 million bail.