A Texas nurse who allegedly caused a fatal multi-vehicle accident in Los Angeles, California has been in 13 previous accidents, authorities say.
37-year-old Nicole Lorraine Linton has been charged with six counts of murder and five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter after last Thursday’s accident. Prosecutors say that Linton was driving up to 90 miles per hour when she ran a red light shortly after 1:30 p.m. She allegedly crashed into at least six vehicles.
The crash killed 23-year-old Asherey Ryan, who was pregnant, her 11-month-old son, Alonzo, and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Reynold Lester. Two other women in another vehicle were also killed, but their names have not been released. Five other people were treated and released for minor injuries.
The six murder charges are for the deaths of the four adults, the 11-month-old, and the unborn child. The five counts of vehicular manslaughter do not include Ryan’s unborn child.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón tells the Los Angeles Times that Linton faces life in prison if convicted of all charges.
While authorities acknowledge that Linton did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they say that her previous driving history should have alerted her to the risks of reckless driving.
According to Gascón, prosecutors will need to prove that Linton acted with “implied malice” and knew that speeding on city streets could put lives in danger. The California Highway Patrol has identified 13 prior crashes involving Linton, the Times reports.
Authorities are still piecing together exactly what happened. “We do know that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed as it traveled through the red light,” CHP officer Franco Pepi said.
Several people were thrown from their vehicles, and three of the vehicles were engulfed in flames.
Tell us your thoughts...