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Cops identify the nurse who allegedly blew through intersection at 100MPH, killing 6 in fiery crash

August 6, 2022 | | Print Article

California Highway Patrol (CHP) has identified the driver of the Mercedes-Benz that blew through a red light in West Los Angeles on Thursday and caused a multi-vehicle crash that left six people dead as a nurse who was speeding through the 35 mph zone at 100 miles per hour.

Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, suffered moderate injuries in the collision that sparked an explosive fireball and killed, among others, a pregnant woman and her unborn baby.

As American Wire reported, Linton’s Mercedes flew through an intersection in the area of Windsor Hills and slammed into an SUV which burst into flames just feet away from a string of gas station fuel pumps. The mass of fiery wreckage hit several other vehicles before finally coming to a stop.

The entire horrific incident was captured on a surveillance camera.

Veronica Esquival witnessed the crash from the gas station where she was filling up.

“I was about to pump gas and all of a sudden, I hear all of the noises from all of the collisions, and then the fire explosion and I saw things, metal and things flying in the air,” she recalled. “So, I just covered myself behind the pump. All of the sudden, a baby literally flew from the middle of the intersection to the middle of the gas station and landed right on the floor in front of me.”

“One of the workers came and saw me with the baby and took the baby out of my hands,” Esquival said. “Somebody tried to resuscitate the baby, but the baby was gone.”

Alphonso Word saw what is presumed to be the worker running with the child.

“One lady took the baby that was ejected, she was running into the store with the child, but you could tell there was no life there,” he told Fox News.”I think the devastating part was you heard the scream. I don’t know if it was one of the victims that was in the car burning, or what.”

Tragically, as Esquival and Word believed, the baby did not survive.

Asherey Ryan, 23, was headed to a prenatal doctor’s appointment with her infant son, according to Ryan’s sister. All three perished in the crash.

Linton was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Speaking with the Associated Press, Officer Franco Pepi said detectives are in the process of determining whether Linton was under the influence of drugs or alcohol or if she was suffering from a medical episode at the time of the accident. Prosecutors may receive the case as early as Monday. They will then decide whether criminal charges against Linton, a traveling nurse at Kaiser Permanente’s West Los Angeles Medical Center, are warranted.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón issued a statement about the incident on Twitter.

“My heart goes out to the families that lost loved ones in the horrific car collision that occurred yesterday in Windsor Hills. This incredible tragedy has sent shockwaves throughout #LosAngeles and the loss of so many precious lives will have a lasting impact on those that are closest to them,” the statement read.

“Our office is in close contact with the lead law enforcement agency investigating,” Gascón continued. “A prosecutor has already been assigned and will be working with law enforcement throughout the weekend. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.”

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Melissa Fine
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