On August 4, a 37-year-old traveling nurse blew through a red light in Los Angeles and collided with several vehicles, resulting in a fiery and deadly crash that left six people dead, including a pregnant mother and a baby. It later was revealed that the nurse has been involved in 13 prior car crashes, one of which resulted in bodily injury.

Nicole Linton, a traveling nurse from Houston, Texas was flying down La Brea Avenue to about 100 mph when she hit a red light and, failing to slow down, her car smashed into several other vehicles and went up in a fiery blaze.

23-year-old Asherey Ryan, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant was killed in the collision, as well as her 11-month-old son and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Reynold Lester. Ryan and Lester were on their way to a prenatal checkup.

Two women in a separate vehicle were also killed, but their names have not yet been made public. Eight additional crash victims sustained injuries, seven of whom were in a Chevrolet Traverse together.

Security camera footage captured Linton’s Mercedes-Benz traveling about 100 mph in a 35 mph zone, then running through a red light straight into innocent victims whose cars immediately went up in flames.

Cars catching fire after high-speed collision

“It was definitely one of the most horrific crashes that we’ve seen,” reported CHP Officer Franco Pepi.

On Monday, Linton appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court where she was charged with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. She faces up to 90 years to life in prison.

Nicole Linton in Los Angeles Superior Court for arraignment on murder charges

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón gave a statement on the case, saying,

“Today, we begin the process of holding accountable the person responsible for the deaths of six people, including a pregnant woman, and their families. 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.

While the wreckage of this fiery crash at this intersection was removed and traffic eventually resumed, there is catastrophic damage to the families and friends of those killed and injured. It is not only a tremendous loss to the families but our entire community who learned of this incredible tragedy or have watched the now viral video of the collision. I’m sure this is a time of great sorrow and grieving for the families and friends of those who will be forever affected by what has transpired.”

While the District Attorney reported that there is no evidence suggesting that Linton was under the influence of alcohol, prosecutors alleged that she has been involved in 13 car accidents before this most recent one, both within and outside of California.

Halim Dhanidina, the attorney for Linton, requested that the arraignment be held off until October, giving her time to review the nurse’s out-of-state medical history, revealing that she has “documented profound mental health issues.”

Aftermath of LA crash being examined by law enforcement

Linton was working as a nurse at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center. After being hospitalized over the weekend at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, she was initially being held on $9 million bail. On Monday, the judge ordered her to be held without bail.

Investigations into the cause of the fatal crash remain active.

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