A driver has been charged with six counts of murder in a fiery crash that killed five people last week near Los Angeles.
A pregnant woman was killed in the crash, and her fetus did not survive.
Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, of Houston, is also charged with five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in the crash, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón saiad Monday afternoon.
Security video shows a Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe going through a red light on Aug. 4 before it plowed into multiple vehicles in Windsor Hills, about 10 miles southwest of downton Los Angeles.
The California Highway Patrol said in a statement that the Mercedes was driven by Linton at a “high rate of speed.” The investigation is ongoing.
Highway patrol officials did not immediately respond to a request for an update on 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,” Gascón said in a statement Monday.
It wasn’t clear if Linton has a lawyer, and the L.A. county public defender’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Linton was hospitalized with moderate injuries, but the district attorney’s office said Monday she was expected in court for arraignment before the end of the day Monday.
Ashley Ryan, 23, was on her way to an appointment with an obstetrician when her vehicle was struck, family members have said. Her boyfriend, which the coroner has not publicly identified, and her 11-month-old boy, Alonzo Quintero, were also killed.
Family said Ryan and her boyfriend planned to name their unborn Armani Lester.
Two women in another vehicle also died in the crash but have not been publicly identified.
