SUV driver arrested for murder after fatal Metro bus crash in Chatsworth, two dead

Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, was booked on suspicion of murder after her SUV slammed into a Metro bus in Chatsworth, killing two men. Bail was set at $4 million.

Chatsworth bus crash: Simi Valley woman charged with murder after two killed

A Simi Valley woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a violent collision in which an SUV ploughed into a Metro bus in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, killing two passengers, according to abc7.com.

The Los Angeles Police Department identified the driver as Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, who was booked Wednesday morning. Her bail was set at $4 million.

The crash occurred shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday on Nordhoff Street near De Soto Avenue. The L.A. County medical examiner's office identified the two victims as Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46.

Rios was driving a gray 2004 Ford Expedition when it struck the Metro bus broadside as the bus was crossing the intersection. "The impact fully ejected one passenger from the bus and partially ejected a second," the LAPD said in a statement.

A witness who gave her name only as Debbie told Eyewitness News that the SUV swerved into oncoming traffic, ran a red light and hit the side of the bus at what she described as "freeway speed." She said the collision produced "the loudest sound I could imagine."

Debris from the crash also struck a blue 2024 Honda CR-V that was stationary on De Soto Avenue at the Nordhoff Street intersection, police said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department reported eight patients in total. Six were transported to hospitals; two were pronounced dead at the scene. The LAPD said one passenger sustained severe injuries, while five others suffered non-life-threatening wounds. At least 60 firefighters responded to the scene.

Approximately two hours after the bus crash, an NBC4 news helicopter went down in the 9100 block of Mason Avenue, near the collision site. The LAFD confirmed three deaths at that scene — the pilot, a reporter, and one person who was already on the ground before the aircraft came down.

Anyone with information about the bus crash is asked to contact LAPD Officer Reyes or Officer Lozon at (818) 644-8114 or (818) 644-8117, or the LAPD's Valley Traffic Division. After hours, the public can call 1-877-LAPD-24-7.

Source: Google News MT