LOS ANGELES (CNS)—Charges could be filed today against a nurse from Houston who is suspected of driving a Mercedes and speeding through a Windsor Hills intersection Aug. 4, sparking a fiery crash that killed six people—including an infant and a pregnant woman.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nEk3Kf3UMNWCYzSTW3xXLHfeCAGvKa7c/view

Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, was arrested Friday on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. She was released from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center this weekend, where she had been hospitalized with moderate injuries. Linton was now being held on $9 million bail at the Century Regional Detention Center, according to jail records. It was initially set at $2 million.

District Attorney George Gascón said Friday that his office would be "working with law enforcement throughout the weekend," and the investigation could be presented to his office for consideration of charges "as early as
Monday."

"My heart goes out to the families that lost loved ones in the horrific car collision that occurred [...] in Windsor Hills. This incredible tragedy has sent shockwaves throughout Los Angeles and the loss of so many precious lives will have a lasting impact on those that are closest to them," Gascón tweeted Friday.

A California Highway Patrol statement said: "Preliminary investigation indicates Nicole Lorraine Linton was driving a dark-colored Mercedes, traveling southbound on La Brea Avenue at a high rate of speed.

"While driving the Mercedes, Linton proceeded through a red light and collided into multiple vehicles traveling eastbound and westbound on Slauson Avenue. As a result of this collision, multiple parties were ejected and two vehicles were fully engulfed in flames. Following the collision, involved parties were transported to (Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center) by ambulance and six individuals were declared deceased on scene," the CHP
continued.

The Los Angeles Times reported Linton is a traveling nurse from Texas, and KHOU-11 reported Aug. 6 that she is from Houston. A LinkedIn page for Nicole Lorraine Linton states she is a traveling nurse employed by a health care staffing agency, and has been working in the intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center.

Kaiser Permanente issued a statement Friday saying, "Everyone at Kaiser Permanente is deeply saddened by Thursday's horrific crash. It's impossible to imagine the pain those involved are experiencing. Our thoughts
are with everyone affected by this tragedy. At this time, we are not able to comment on what has been reported as a criminal investigation."

The pregnant woman who died in the crash was identified Aug. 5 by the coroner's office as Asherey Ryan, 23 of Los Angeles. She and her male fetus were among the victims killed in the crash that occurred just before 1:40 p.m. Thursday at La Brea and Slauson avenues, near Ladera Park.

According to Ryan's family, the woman's 11-month-old son, Alonzo Quintero, was also killed, along with Ryan's boyfriend, who was the father of her unborn son. Ryan's boyfriend was driving the car that was struck, accord- ing to a video posted online by Ryan's sister, Shoshanna Kerr.

Kerr identified him as Reynold Lester, 24, of Los Angeles, who worked as a security guard.

In the video, Kerr said Ryan was 8 1/2 months pregnant, and she was on her way to a doctor's appointment when the crash occurred. The family was planning to name the unborn infant Armani Lester, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

"She left the house at 1:30. She woke me up" Kerr said. "She woke me up and told me she was going to go to her doctor's appointment, that she loved me and she'll be right back."

 

Kerr said 15 minutes later, she saw video of the car crash.

"And for some reason, as soon as I seen that video, it hit me. It felt different. I felt connected," Kerr said, adding
that she cried throughout the night.

"I didn't sleep one bit," she said. "I'm all cried out."

Shoshanna Kerr also told reporters that Ryan's family forgives the driver who caused the crash. "I just want to tell her that we forgive her," she said. "She will have to live with this for the rest of her life. That's why she was spared. We understand it already."

A GoFundMe page established on behalf of the family had raised more than $130,000 as of Sunday afternoon, Aug. 7.

On Friday and again on Saturday night, friends and family gathered at the crash site to remember and say goodbye to the victims. Lighted candles dotted a memorial near the site of the fiery crash. Saturday's gathering
included some LA County firefighters who were among the first to respond to the crash.
 
Dramatic surveillance video (URL above) from the scene Thursday showed the Mercedes plowing through the 35 mph zone on La Brea at a speed authorities estimate at 100 mph—speeding through a red light at Slauson and broad-siding a vehicle.

The crash ignited an inferno as the sedan struck by the Mercedes was pushed into at least one other vehicle, and both wound up against a gas station sign on the corner. A trail of fire was left burning in the intersection as the vehicles struck by the speeding driver were engulfed in flames.

CHP reports indicate eight vehicles, including Linton's, were involved in the collision. The heavily damaged Mercedes ended up near a bench down the street. The CHP reported a sixth victim was later found dead in the burned wreckage of one vehicle, but further information about that person has not been released.

Eight others were injured in the collision, including seven occupants of a Chevrolet Traverse. The 33-year-old driver, a 1-year-old boy and three teenagers suffered moderate injuries, while two other teens inside the vehicle
had only minor injuries.

The eighth victim—the 19-year-old driver of an Audi A3—also suffered minor injuries.