Sept. 18 (UPI) — The driver in a deadly crash with a city bus in Los Angeles Tuesday has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, prosecutors said.
Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, was “impaired by drugs” when she ran a red light in a Ford Expedition and hit the broadside of the bus, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said at a press conference Thursday.
Rios is also charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving, Hochman said. She could get up to life in prison.
The crash, around 5 p.m. PDT in Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley, killed two bus passengers Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31. Five others on the bus were injured, including the driver.
A news helicopter covering the wreck also crashed, killing two people and injuring two. One of the victims was on the ground. Charges against Rios do not involve the helicopter crash, but those charges could come at a later date if there is a “tie-in” to the bus crash.
“If there is, then we will consider the appropriate charges,” he said. “If there is not, then that will not lead to any further charges.”
Hochman said two people were thrown from the bus on impact and alleged that Rios had “illegal hard drugs” in her system, and there were drugs found in her car. Those are still under evaluation.
“If you’re thinking about getting behind the wheel drunk or drugged, think again,” Hochman said.
Rios’s bail is set at $4.1 million. Her arraignment is scheduled for Friday.
“What is particularly tragic about this case is that this is a preventable tragedy,” USA Today reported Hochman said. “People on that bus at about 5 p.m. were either going to work or maybe coming home from work. They might be going to get a bite to eat, to see family or friends. What they did not expect is what was about to happen.”
Source: U.S. News
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