Nurse's vehicle hit 130 mph in collision that killed 5 in L.A. County, prosecutors say (2024)

A nurse accused of killing five in a horrific Los Angeles County collision "floored the gas pedal" to 130 mph just before the fiery August crash, prosecutors alleged in court filing Friday.

Data from the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe that Nicole Linton was driving show she accelerated in the 5 seconds before the multi-vehicle Aug. 4 crash, going from 122 mph to 130 mph, according to a motion filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and obtained by NBC Los Angeles.

The document, filed to oppose pretrial release and bail for Linton, 37, a traveling nurse, also alleged that data showed she did not try to brake or slow down before impact.

Nurse's vehicle hit 130 mph in collision that killed 5 in L.A. County, prosecutors say (1)

The district attorney’s office argued in Friday’s filing that releasing Linton would present a danger to the public, and that she is a flight risk.

A hearing on the whether Linton could be eligible to be released before trial is scheduled for Monday in an L.A. Superior Court courtroom.

Linton, a Houston resident, has been charged with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. One of the victims, Asherey Ryan, was pregnant.

Linton remained held without bail, jail records show.

Nurse's vehicle hit 130 mph in collision that killed 5 in L.A. County, prosecutors say (2)

Linton's defense argued in a previous filing reported on by the Los Angeles Times that she had a lapse of consciousness during the crash, and that her mental health had deteriorating in recent years.

The D.A.’s Friday filing said the defense’s claim of loss of consciousness is not supported by the Mercedes’ electronic data recorder or by available medical records.

Analysis of the vehicle’s recorded data and surveillance video indicates Linton had “complete control over steering ... to keep her car traveling directly toward the crowded intersection,” the filing stated.

“This NASCAR-worthy performance flies in the face of the notion that she was unconscious or incapacitated,” the prosecution wrote in the document.

Doctors at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center who treated Linton after the crash, said it did not appear that she had fainted, passed out, or experienced a seizure, the document states.

Linton defense attorney, former California appeals court judge Halim Dhanidina, said he would respond to prosecutors' claims during the hearing Monday.

"We expect to call a few witnesses including a psychiatrist who has met with Ms. Linton twice at the jail and has also reviewed relevant police and hospital records attendant to Aug. 4 and prior incidents," he said by email.

The D.A.'s office stated Linton has claimed to have bipolar disorder. She admitted to experiencing symptoms consistent with impairment before the crash, but was not taking prescribed medication that could have prevented the symptoms, according to the document.

Linton told investigators she had not slept for at least four days before the collision because stress in her life caused her to lose sleep, according to prosecutors’ filing. She said avoiding her medication led to insomnia, it stated.

On Aug. 4, Linton said she worked a 12-hour shift, and reported that her lack of sleep was catching up to duties, including giving patients medication on time, according to the Friday filing.

The filing states Linton "opined that the cause of her collision was her fatigue."

In jail calls with her sister, Linton "acknowledged that she should not have gone to work on the day of the crash, stating, "five people are dead because of me," the document stated.

Prosecutors pointed out several instances where Linton had been involved in prior crashes, the document states.

Between 2008 and 2009, she was stopped at least three times for speeding. Linton was also involved in a car crash in 2008 in New York that resulted in “personal injury and property damage,” according to the document.

The document also detailed instances where Linton displayed what prosecutors said was "aggressive, violent" behavior.

In an interview with California Highway Patrol officers, Linton recalled the moments before the crash, including what music she was listening to, and said she remembered driving straight and seeing a car pass in front of her from left to right, the document states.

The last thing she remembered was going straight before she woke up on the ground outside her burning car, according to the document.

Security footage showed the moment Linton's Mercedes-Benz plowed through a red light in Windsor Hills, about 10 miles southwest of downtown L.A.

The video showed cars traveling from left to right in front of Linton no more than 9 seconds before she drove through the intersection, the documents state.

In a statement Saturday, Kaiser Permanente said Linton was employed by an entity called AMN Healthcare and contracted to work at Kaiser Permanente on a temporary basis.She was not traveling for the company at the time of the crash, it said.

Victims of the crash identified by authorities and family include Ryan, 23; her 11-month-old son, Alonzo Quintero; and her boyfriend, Reynold Lester, 23.

Ryan's fetus did not survive. Family members said Ryan and Lester had planned to name the child Armani.

Officials have not publicly confirmed the names of the two other victims, but family and friends identified them to theLos Angeles Timesas Nathesia Lewis, 42, and Lynette Noble, 38. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner lists both women as having died Aug. 4.

An update on the California Highway Patrol investigation of the collision was not available Saturday.

Dennis Romero

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.

Claire Cardona

Claire Cardona is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital.

Minyvonne Burke

and

Cristian Santana

contributed

.

Nurse's vehicle hit 130 mph in collision that killed 5 in L.A. County, prosecutors say (2024)

FAQs

Nurse's vehicle hit 130 mph in collision that killed 5 in L.A. County, prosecutors say? ›

Prosecutors alleged that data from Nicole Linton's car showed she did not try to slow down. A nurse accused of killing five in a horrific Los Angeles County collision "floored the gas pedal" to 130 mph just before the fiery August crash, prosecutors alleged in court filing Friday.

Who was the nurse that killed the driver? ›

Nicole Linton charged: Attorney says Houston nurse had seizure behind wheel in Los Angeles crash that left 6 dead - ABC13 Houston.

Who was the nurse in the car crash? ›

Nicole Linton, the 37-year-old traveling nurse from Houston, Texas had a history of seizures in her frontal lobe that causes bizarre behaviors before she was hit with six counts of murder for the Aug. 2022 crash, according to a neurologist hired by her legal team.

Can you survive a 120 mph crash? ›

Due to unfavorable road conditions, the young Saab driver landed off the highway and crashed at a speed of about 120 MPH (160 km/h). In traffic accidents at such high speeds, there are almost no survivors, and in the event of a collision with stronger barriers, the mortality rate is 100%.

Who was the nurse that ran the red light? ›

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón on Monday announced charges against Nicole Lorraine Linton, the 37-year-old nurse from Houston who police say ran a red light and plowed her speeding Mercedes through a busy intersection in Windsor Hills causing a deadly crash.

What happened to the traveling nurse that killed 6? ›

Eight other people were injured. A traveling nurse from Texas, Nicole Lorraine Linton, survived the crash with moderate injuries and was charged with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Linton was arrested by the CHP the day of the crash and remains jailed without bail.

Where did Nicole Linton work? ›

Her job took her to North Carolina, Texas, Georgia and finally to California, where she has been licensed since 2021, most recently working at Kaiser Permanente's West Los Angeles Medical Center. But her movements on Aug. 4 had deadly consequences, prosecutors say.

Who was the female nurse that killed people? ›

Kristen Heather Gilbert (née Strickland; born November 13, 1967) is an American serial killer and former nurse who was convicted of four murders and two attempted murders of patients admitted to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Who was the serial killer of the nurses? ›

Richard Speck (born December 6, 1941, Kirkwood, Illinois, U.S.—died December 5, 1991, Joliet) was an American mass murderer known for killing eight female nursing students in a Chicago town house in 1966.

What happens to the body during a car crash? ›

The physical force of a collision can violently shake your body, leading to injuries and damage. Victims commonly suffer from whiplash, head injuries, spinal cord trauma, and limb injuries.

What happens to the body in a head-on collision? ›

The impact of a head-on collision can easily damage back muscles, as well as the discs and nerves running throughout the spinal column. Back injuries may leave accident victims with a long-term loss of mobility and disabling pain.

How fast can a car hit you and you survive? ›

As a result, over 90% of people involved in an accident at 20mph or less survived the impact and the injuries sustained as a result. There has since been further research conducted by the National Center of Statistics, that states 70% of car crash fatalities happen on roads with a speed limit of 40mph.

What happened to nurse who drove through intersection? ›

Nicole Linton, 37, has been charged with six counts of murder and five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, Gascón said. If convicted of all charges, she faces a potential sentence of 90 years to life in prison. Linton was hospitalized after the crash, but was booked into jail over the weekend.

Who was the nurse that got prosecuted? ›

State of Tennessee v. RaDonda L. Vaught was an American legal trial in which former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse RaDonda Vaught was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and impaired adult abuse after she mistakenly administered the wrong medication that killed a patient in 2017.

What was the name of the killer nurse? ›

Charles Edmund Cullen (born February 22, 1960) is an American serial killer. Cullen, a nurse, murdered dozens—possibly hundreds—of patients during a 16-year career spanning several New Jersey and Pennsylvania medical centers until being arrested in 2003.

Where is Amy Loughren now? ›

It's clear that Loughren's life has changed immeasurably since she helped police capture Cullen. As revealed at the end of the film, Loughren now lives in Florida with her two daughters, and her grandchildren, whom she regularly posts about on Instagram.

Was the nurse who killed 6 drunk? ›

During Monday's bail hearing, Linton's defense attorney claimed there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol in her system and alluded to "profound mental health issues" as a potential reason behind the crash.

Who was the true story nurse kills patients? ›

Charles Edmund Cullen (born February 22, 1960) is an American serial killer. Cullen, a nurse, murdered dozens—possibly hundreds—of patients during a 16-year career spanning several New Jersey and Pennsylvania medical centers until being arrested in 2003.

Who is the real person in the nurse? ›

Given that the real-life Christina Aistrup Hansen was first charged in 2016, she is still serving her sentence in a Danish prison and will be released in 2028. While writing the book upon which The Nurse is based, Corfixen interviewed Hansen in prison and described her anger at the sentencing.

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