Overview
- A woman driving the wrong way allegedly sped through a red light and crashed her SUV into an LA Metro bus, killing two passengers and injuring several others in an incident that took place on Tuesday in Chatsworth.
- Los Angeles County prosecutors this week charged 36-year-old Bailee Lynn Rios with two counts of second-degree murder, felony DUI causing injury and related counts after officials said narcotics were recovered from her vehicle and detected in her system; bail was set at about $4.03–4.1 million and she faces up to life if convicted.
- Roughly two hours after the bus collision, NBC4’s NewsChopper4 carrying a reporter and pilot suddenly lost altitude and crashed nearby, killing the two people aboard and a 29-year-old pedestrian; the NTSB and FAA have opened a formal investigation into the helicopter crash.
- Investigators say the helicopter’s live onboard video and cockpit audio are the most important evidence; wreckage and avionics have been moved to an NTSB lab in Phoenix and a preliminary report is expected in about 30 days.
- The community has held vigils for the five victims and officials are urging the public to share surveillance or dashcam footage, while prosecutors say they will review federal findings and ongoing chemical tests to determine any further legal action.