Driver in L.A.-area crash that killed 5, including pregnant woman, charged with 6 counts of murder
A driver has been charged with six counts of murder in a fiery crash that killed five people last week near Los Angeles.
A pregnant woman was killed, and her fetus did not survive.
Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, of Houston, is also charged with five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Monday afternoon.
Security video shows a Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe going through a red light Thursday before it plows into multiple vehicles in Windsor Hills, about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles.
The California Highway Patrol said in a statement that Linton drove the Mercedes at a "high rate of speed." The investigation continues.
Highway patrol officials did not immediately respond to a request for an update Monday.
"This is a case that will always be remembered for the senseless loss of so many innocent lives as they simply went about their daily routines," Gascón said in a statement Monday.
It was not clear whether Linton has a lawyer, and the Los Angeles County public defender's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Linton was hospitalized with moderate injuries, but the district attorney's office said Monday she was expected in court for arraignment before the end of the day Monday.
Asherey Ryan, 23, was on her way to an appointment with an obstetrician when her vehicle was struck, family members have said. Her boyfriend, whom the coroner has not publicly identified, and her 11-month-old boy, Alonzo Quintero, were also killed.
Family said Ryan and her boyfriend planned to name their unborn child Armani Lester.
Two women in another vehicle also died in the crash; they have not been publicly identified.
CORRECTION (Aug. 9, 2022, 4:55 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled the first name of the 23-year-old pregnant woman who died in the crash. She is Asherey Ryan, not Ashley.
