Nicole Linton history of mental health issues & 13 prior road accidents. How was a traveling nurse from Texas even able to have a driver’s license let alone work in healthcare?
Why was she even allowed to drive? The traveling ICU nurse who killed six people in a horror crash in Los Angeles after plowing her Mercedes 90mph through a busy intersection last week was revealed to have a ‘profound’ history of mental illness and has been involved in 13 prior crashes, prosecutors revealed during the woman’s court appearance on Monday.
Appearing in court on Monday, Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, was charged with six counts of murder and five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter in connection to Thursday’s horrific crash in Windsor Hills.
In order for Linton to receive a second-degree murder conviction, prosecutors must prove the woman knew the act of driving at a high speed on city streets was dangerous to human life and acted with implied malice.
If convicted of all charges against her, Nicole Linton faces 90 years to life in prison.
Among those she killed was pregnant Asherey Ryan, 23, her one-year-old son Alonzo and Reynold Lester, the father of Asherey’s unborn baby, who also died.
Windsor Hill driver employer refuses to say how ‘profoundly’ mentally ill nurse was vetted
Per CHP, the unspeakable Slauson-La Brea tragedy was the *14th* car crash involving Nicole Linton. This 37yo nurse, who professionally is all about saving lives, has been terrorizing the streets at a clip of close to an accident per each adult life year. https://t.co/PxXzsK1XG4
— Richard Horgan (@hollywoodspin) August 9, 2022
‘profound’ history of mental health problems in other states
On Tuesday, Craig Pitchford was named as another victim. Two other female victims remain unidentified according to the dailymail.
Nicole L. Linton is from Houston, Texas, and was in Los Angeles working as a contractor at the Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Hospital. She was working for the nursing contractor group AMN Healthcare, which she joined in October 2020.
Until 2009, Linton was working as a sales manager for General Motors, according to her LinkedIn profile. She began working in healthcare in 2010 as an ‘extern’ at NYU, despite not completing her nursing degree in 2015.
In court yesterday, her attorney said she had a ‘profound’ history of mental health problems in other states.
He said they would have contributed to the crash, and asked for her arraignment to be delayed until October.
Before denying the motion and setting her bail at $9 million, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Natalie Stone said Linton ‘should have been aware of her limitations.’
Prosecutors revealed the woman did not have drugs or alcohol in her system, while saying her motive for running the red light and plowing through the intersection remained unclear.
13 prior road accidents
A woman, who claims to be a friend of Linton, previously said the nurse had an argument with her boyfriend at a nearby house before the deadly crash.
Prosecutors also revealed in court that Linton was involved in 13 prior road accidents, including one in 2020 in which two vehicles were totaled.
The crashes were cited by The Los Angeles Time yesterday but no further details have emerged.
It remains unclear why Linton was able to work in healthcare, let alone in the ICU, with such extensive mental health problems as her attorney described.
On Monday, she sobbed in court as she was charged with six counts of murder.
Linton was traveling at speeds of at least 90mph in a 35 mph zone when she sped through a read light and hit crossing vehicles at the busy intersection of La Brea and Slauson Avenues.
Victims’ families lives shattered
Eight-month pregnant Asherey Ryan, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene alongside her one-year-old child Alonzo Luchiano Quintero and her unborn baby boy following the horrible crash.
The unborn child’s father, Renald Lester, was also killed in the crash after the car split in half immediately on impact, those close to the family confirmed.
Asherey, Renald, and little Alonzo were on their way to a doctor’s appointment for a pregnancy check-up when Linton smashed into the car they were traveling in.
‘A young family was destroyed in the blink of an eye,’ Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón said Monday.
‘There’s catastrophic damage to the families and friends of those killed and injured.
‘It’s not only a tremendous loss to their families, but to our entire community, who learned of this incredible tragedy who watched the now viral video of the collision.’
Pitchford, the fifth victim, was named by his family.
In a GoFundMe page yesterday, they said: ‘On August 4th, 2022, we tragically lost Craig Pitchford, beloved Father, Grandfather and friend.’
Craig was one of the victims who lost their lives in the horrific crash at Slauson and La Brea.
‘We are raising funds for his burial service, as there isn’t any insurance in place. We appreciate any donation you feel touched to give.’
Two other women remain unidentified. No one from Linton’s family has yet spoken out.
