Houston nurse arrested in wreck that left six dead

A Houston woman was arrested for allegedly speeding through a red light and killing six people in a fiery wreck in Los Angeles last week.

Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, is expected to face charges of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. The traveling nurse was working in Los Angeles at the time to improve her skills as an intensive care unit nurse, according to her social media posts.

Franco Pepi, a California Highway Patrol officer, told The Associated Press Friday that detectives were looking into whether Linton had a medical episode or was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Pepi called the collision “one of the most horrific crashes that we’ve seen.”

Among the victims were Asherey Ryan, a 23-yearold pregnant woman from Los Angeles who was due to give birth in a few weeks, and her 11-month-old son Alonzo Quintero. Ryan was on her way to a prenatal checkup, according to her sister. Ryan had already chosen a name, Armani, for the unborn child. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.

The car was going at least 50 mph as it raced through the crowded intersection, Pepi said Thursday. Several people were flung from the cars and two vehicles caught fire. Television reports showed the blackened and mangled cars, as well as a child’s car seat among the debris covering the street.

Debra Jackson, told KCBS-TV she was about to get out of her car to pump gas when she heard a big explosion.

“The flames went over my whole car,” she said. “I jumped out of my car and just left my car sitting right there.”