Police have arrested a 37-year-old registered nurse in connection to the fiery multi-car crash caused by a speeding car in Windsor Hills yesterday (Aug. 4). The crash left six people dead, including an infant and a pregnant woman, and eight others injured.
Nicole Linton is being charged with vehicular manslaughter, the California Highway Patrol announced today (Aug. 5). She is currently in the hospital and is cooperating with the investigators.
The news of Linton’s arrest came as the medical examiner released the name of the pregnant woman who was killed in the crash, Asherey Ryan, 23. The four additional victims have yet to be identified.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Ryan, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant, was with her boyfriend on her way to a doctor’s appointment when the gray Mercedes-Benz crashed into their car. She died alongside her boyfriend, their 1-year-old baby and Ryan’s unborn child.
Surveillance video shows the Mercedes barreling down La Brea at a high speed as dozens of cars were crossing the intersection on Slauson. The Mercedes runs a red light and slams into cars in the intersection, then bursts into flames and hurtles into a light pole, where it comes to rest. After the crash, a streak of fire burned on the ground.
California Highway Patrol officer Franco Pepi confirmed that several people were thrown out of their vehicles, and three of the vehicles were engulfed in flames. Two of the eight victims taken to the hospital were adults and the remaining victims were children and teenagers.
Veronica Esquival, a witness, told KTLA that she was pumping gas nearby when the crash occurred. “All of the sudden, a baby literally flew from the middle of the intersection to the middle of the gas station and landed right on the floor in front of me,” she said. “One of the workers came and saw me with the baby and took the baby out of my hands. Somebody tried to resuscitate the baby, but the baby was gone.”