Nurse in deadly crash could be charged as soon as today
LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Charges could be filed as early as today against a registered nurse from Houston who is suspected of speeding a Mercedes through a Windsor Hills intersection, Thursday, sparking a fiery crash that killed six people — including an infant and a pregnant woman.
Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, was arrested, Friday, on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. She was released from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, this weekend, where she had been hospitalized with moderate injuries. Linton was now being held on $9 million bail at the Century Regional Detention Center, according to jail records. It was initially set at $2 million.
District Attorney George Gascón said, Friday, that his office would be “working with law enforcement throughout the weekend,” and the investigation could be presented to his office for consideration of charges “as early as Monday.”
“My heart goes out to the families that lost loved ones in the horrific car collision that occurred, yesterday, in Windsor Hills. This incredible tragedy has sent shockwaves throughout Los Angeles and the loss of so many precious lives will have a lasting impact on those that are closest to them,” Gascón tweeted, Friday.
A California Highway Patrol statement said: “Preliminary investigation indicates Nicole Lorraine Linton was driving a dark-colored Mercedes, traveling southbound on La Brea Avenue at a high rate of speed.
“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. Following the collision, involved parties were transported to (Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center) by ambulance and six individuals were declared deceased on scene,” the CHP continued.
The Los Angeles Times reported Linton is a traveling nurse from Texas, and KHOU-11 reported Saturday that she is from Houston. A LinkedIn page for Nicole Lorraine Linton states she is a traveling nurse employed by a health-care staffing agency, and has been working in the intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center.
Kaiser Permanente issued a statement, Friday, saying, “Everyone at Kaiser Permanente is deeply saddened by Thursday’s horrific crash. It’s impossible to imagine the pain those involved are experiencing. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. At this time, we are not able to comment on what has been reported as a criminal investigation.”
The pregnant woman who died in the crash was identified, Friday, by the coroner’s office as 23-year-old Asherey Ryan of Los Angeles. She and her male fetus were among the victims killed in the crash that occurred just before 1:40 p.m. Thursday at La Brea and Slauson avenues, near Ladera Park.
According to Ryan’s family, the woman’s 11-month-old son, Alonzo Quintero, was also killed, along with Ryan’s boyfriend, who was the father of her unborn son. Ryan’s boyfriend was driving the car that was struck, according to a video posted online by Ryan’s sister, Shoshanna Kerr.
Kerr identified him as Reynold Lester, 24, of Los Angeles, who worked as a security guard. A stu
In the video, Kerr said Ryan was eight-and-betw a-half months pregnant, and she was on her way to a doctor’s appointment when the crash occurred.
The family was planning to name the unborn infant Armani Lester, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
“She left the house at 1:30. She woke me up,” Kerr said. “She woke me up and told me she was going to go to her doctor’s appointment, that she loved me and she’ll be right back.”
She said that 15 minutes later, she saw video of the car crash.
“And for some reason, as soon as I seen that video, it hit me. It felt different. I felt connected,” she said.