A nurse accused of killing six people after a fiery crash in 2022 has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors have charged Nicole Lorraine Linton, 39, with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter due to gross negligence following the fatal crash two years ago.
If found guilty, she faces 90 years to life in prison.
CBS
Among the people killed in the violent crash was an entire family, aged 23 Asherey Ryan24-year-old Reynold Lester, their unborn child and their baby Alonzo, who was about to celebrate his first birthday.
The family drove to an appointment with a prenatal doctor.
When the charges were filed, District Attorney George Gascón said his office cannot file manslaughter charges in a case involving an unborn child.
“This is a case that will always be remembered for the senseless loss of so many innocent lives as they went about their daily routines,” Gascón said in a 2022 statement.
The fatal crash occurred in August 2022 in the Los Angeles area Windsor Hills. Investigators said Linton drove her Mercedes-Benz through a red light while traveling more than 90 miles per hour. The speed limit was 35 km/h.
Surveillance footage showed the Mercedes blowing through lights and striking another vehicle, which burst into flames and left a trail of fire leading to a gas station sign.
A total of eight vehicles were involved in the accident, including Linton’s Mercedes. In addition to the young parents and their child, two other women, including a 42-year-old, died in the crash Nationssha Lewis and her friend, 38-year-old Lynette Noble. They were on their way to the mall.
Lewis’ family used DNA to identify her body.
“My sister has children who are grieving, who are not aware of it,” said the victim’s sister, Jasmond Nelson. “It’s just so tragic. It’s actually unbelievable to even be having this conversation here. My family is broken and we’re grieving.”
Prosecutors said Linton has a history of mental health issues and a problematic driving history. They claimed she did not have a California driver’s license and was involved in a collision that caused bodily injury in 2020.
After the crash, Linton’s sister, Camille, published one website which detailed her upbringing, her struggles with mental health, and a detailed account of her interactions on the day of the crash. Camille said her sister called her about four minutes before the collision.
“When I see that video, I don’t see Nicole driving…I see her mental illness driving. Something must have happened to cause her to completely disconnect from reality,” she said.
Linton’s family also expressed their condolences to the victims and their loved ones on the website, which appears to have been closed. Camille made it clear that she did not want to absolve her younger sister of responsibility for the crash, but hoped she would be treated fairly given her mental health.
She said her little sister was the first manic episode happened in 2018.
“What people need to understand is that over 90% of our interactions with Nicole have been ‘normal’ and even if she is manic, there has never been anything that would lead us to believe she was a danger to herself or other people,” she says. wrote on the website. “In the past four years, I have never been afraid that something like what happened on August 4 could happen.”
The family of one of the victims called the location disturbing during an interview in 2022.
