Nurse charged with murder for fiery crash that killed five in southern California

Jessica Schladebeck

A traveling nurse from Texas who allegedly caused a fiery car crash in southern California, which left five people dead, has been charged with murder.

Nicole Linton is facing six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter, L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón announced Monday. She was behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz that plowed through a red light in Windsor Hills on Thursday, triggering the deadly multi-vehicle wreck.

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.
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.


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/)

Five cars were struck in the chaos, including several that caught fire.

Authorities said in the moments before the crash, Linton was traveling at 100 mph down La Brea avenue, which has a speed limit of 35 mph. She was arrested on Friday while she was hospitalized for injuries she sustained in the crash, and then taken into custody on Monday upon her release.

Los Angeles City Public Works technicians replace burned traffic lights and signs after crash involving multiple cars near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills in Los Angeles on Friday.
Los Angeles City Public Works technicians replace burned traffic lights and signs after crash involving multiple cars near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills in Los Angeles on Friday.


Los Angeles City Public Works technicians replace burned traffic lights and signs after crash involving multiple cars near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills in Los Angeles on Friday. (Damian Dovarganes/)

According to Fox Los Angeles Linton, in wheelchair at the time, cried during her initial court appearance. She did not enter a plea in the case, and her next hearing was scheduled for Aug. 15.

All three members of one family were among those killed in the wreck — Asherey Ryan, a 23-year-old woman who was pregnant with her second child, her boyfriend, 24-year-old Reynold Lester, and the father of her unborn son, and her baby boy Alonzo, who was days away from celebrating his first birthday. They were on their way to a prenatal checkup when their vehicle was struck.

Neighbor Mary Thompson prays as she brings a bouquet to the memorial site set after a crash involving as many as six cars near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills in Los Angeles, on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022.
Neighbor Mary Thompson prays as she brings a bouquet to the memorial site set after a crash involving as many as six cars near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills in Los Angeles, on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022.


Neighbor Mary Thompson prays as she brings a bouquet to the memorial site set after a crash involving as many as six cars near a gas station in the unincorporated Windsor Hills in Los Angeles, on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. (Damian Dovarganes/)

Two women in a different vehicle were also killed; their names have not been released. Another six children and two adults were also injured in the wreck.

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

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