A nurse who allegedly caused a fatal multi-car crash in Los Angeles has been in 13 previous accidents, according to authorities.
Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, from Texas, has been charged with six counts of murder and five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter after last Thursday’s accident.
Suspect that Killed Pregnant Mom And 4 Others In Car Crash Was Involved in 13 Prior Wrecks
Andy Vermaut shares:Driver in Los Angeles crash that killed 5 charged with murder: Nicole Lorraine Linton was charged with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, according to the Los Angeles… https://t.co/H3twgamDdA Thank you. pic.twitter.com/iFYr8Fh1zt
— Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) August 9, 2022
Prosecutors say that Linton was driving up to 90 miles per hour when she ran a red light shortly after 1:30 p.m. Allegedly, she crashed into at least six vehicles.
The car 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 in the car crash, however, their names have not been released. Five other people were treated and released for minor injuries.
Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, a registered nurse, was charged with vehicular manslaughter in connection with the crash that killed 6 in Windsor Hills, Calif. She was driving a Mercedes that was going as fast as 100 mph when she ran a red light . https://t.co/NlkDGBzxS1 pic.twitter.com/O268XbKak8
— Robby???? (@rking78708) August 6, 2022
RELATED: Congresswoman for Indiana’s 2nd District Killed in Car Crash
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.
And 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.
Nicole Lorraine Linton: Police Arrest Driver Who Caused Deadly L.A. Crash That Killed 6 Including Pregnant Woman & Toddler https://t.co/XEGd0fA2MM pic.twitter.com/S6eeYEmfIA
— Gossip On This (@GossipOnThis) August 5, 2022
RELATED: Woman Is ‘Extremely Fortunate’ to Be Alive After Losing House In Anne Heche Car Crash
Prosecutors will need to prove that Linton acted with “implied malice” and that 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 tells the outlet.
Multiple people were thrown from their vehicles, and three of the vehicles were engulfed in flames.