According to prosecutors, the Texas-based traveling nurse was charged in connection with a fiery crash that occurred in Los Angeles. It left six people dead.
Nicole Linton, 37 years old, was arrested Monday on six murder charges and five counts each of vehicular manslaughter.
After allegedly driving a Mercedes down La Brea Avenue at high speed on Aug. 4, before running a red light, she crashed into several vehicles in Windsor Hills. This caused a fiery wreck that was captured on surveillance cameras.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Linton was accused of being involved in 13 car accidents in California before Thursday’s wreck. One in 2020 was a result of bodily injury, and two vehicles were totaled. However, they did not provide any further information.
Halim Dhanidina (the attorney for Linton) requested that the arraignment continues until October in order to review the out-of-state history by the nurse of “documented deeply mental health issues,” according to the Times.
George Gascon, Los Angeles County District Attorney, stated Monday that although there is no evidence to suggest Linton was drunk, investigations into the cause of Linton’s crash are ongoing.
Those killed included 23-year-old Asherey Ryan, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, her 11-month-old son, and Ryan’s boyfriend. Two other women, who have yet to be identified, in another vehicle also were killed. Six other vehicles were involved in the collision, including five people with minor injuries in an SUV and another driver in another vehicle, according to prosecutors. The case remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
Gascon stated in a statement that “Today we begin the process to hold accountable the person responsible for the deaths of six people including a pregnant lady and their families.” Gascon said that the case will be forever remembered for the tragic loss of innocent lives while they went about their day. Thank you to the California Highway Patrol’s investigating officers and prosecutors for your efforts in this case.
He said, “While the wreckage from the fiery collision at this intersection was removed and traffic resumed eventually, there is catastrophic damage for the families and friends who lost loved ones.” It is not just a terrible loss for the families, but also for the entire community that saw the video of the accident. This is going to be a difficult time for the loved ones and friends of those who were forever affected by this tragedy.
According to reports, Linton had been working as an RN at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center. She was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Saturday and placed under $2 million bail. Monday saw her released from the hospital. Her bail was raised to $9 million.
Later that day, a judge ordered her to be held without bail. However, a hearing was scheduled for next week to hear the case, KABC-TV reported.
