Nicole Linton appears in Los Angeles Superior Court for arraignment on murder charges stemming from a traffic accident, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Frederick M. Brown/Daily Mail.com via AP, Pool)
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UPDATED 5:58 PM PT – Monday, August 8, 2022
The driver in connection with a fiery crash which left six people dead and several others injured in Los Angeles is expected to face multiple charges. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office could announce formal charges against 37-year-old Nicole Linton as early as Monday.
NEW: L.A. DA @GeorgeGascon charges Nicole Linton with 6 counts of murder & 5 counts of gross vehicular manslaughter following this crash which left 6 people dead. She faces 90 years to life if convicted. https://t.co/qoOVT9nyNE
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 8, 2022
She’s suspected of speeding through a red light in a Mercedes Sedan at nearly 100 miles per hour, plowing into several cars, killing several people last week. Linton was a traveling nurse from Texas, she was also injured in the crash and hospitalized.
“I was about to pump gas and all of a sudden, I hear all of the noises from all of the collisions and then the fire explosion and I saw things. Metal and things flying in the air. So, I just covered myself behind the pump,” witness Veronica Esquive stated.
The crash killed pregnant woman Asherey Ryan, her 11-month-old son Alonzo Quintero and her boyfriend Reynold Lester. The 23-year-old pregnant woman, Asherey Ryan, her unborn child, her 11-month-old son Alonzo Quintero and her boyfriend Reynold Lester all died in the collision. Lester had been driving her to a prenatal checkup at the time of the crash.
“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.”
Nicole Linton in court right now – after DA @GeorgeGascon announces the traveling nurse will be charged with 6 counts of murder + 5 counts of gross vehicular manslaughter
Linton cried periodically throughout, her left arm wrapped in a brace
She faces up to 90 yrs in prison pic.twitter.com/jQC3tgn9Ai
— MarlaTellez (@MarlaTellez) August 8, 2022
The crash involved as many as six vehicles near a gas station about 10 miles southwest of downtown L.A., according to the California Highway Patrol. Several people were flung from the vehicles.
She was arrested Friday on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and is being held on $9 million bail. Her bail was initially set at $2 million and it is unclear why it was raised.