Bailee Lynn Rios, Simi Valley, California woman charged with murder after prosecutors determine she was high on drugs when she ran red lights and crashed in Los Angeles Metro bus killing two. Driver with prior drugs possession charges also faces DUI and reckless driving charges.
The woman who plowed her Ford SUV into the side of a Los Angeles Metro bus leading to the deaths of two passengers was under the influence of drugs according to prosecutors.
Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, of Simi Valley was charged with murder Wednesday morning and was being held on $4.03 million bail
She is also facing additional counts of driving under the influence and reckless driving, as Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman claimed she was impaired by drugs and narcotics were found inside her vehicle.
‘What is particularly tragic about this case is that this is a preventable tragedy,’ Hochman said at a news conference on Thursday.
‘Ms Rios did not have to get behind the wheel impaired,’ he continued. ‘She did not have to drive on the other side of the road. She did not have to blow through the red light at full force to drive her SUV right into a Metro bus. That was all preventable.’
Police said Rios drove her SUV the wrong way down De Soto Avenue in Chatsworth ‘well beyond the speed limit’ around 5 p.m. Tuesday, ran a red light and plowed straight into the bus.
Surveillance video captured the moment of the impact. Police said Rios was driving the Ford Expedition southbound in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue before running a red light at Nordhoff Street.
That’s when she slammed into the Metro Line 166 bus. The impact sent the bus into a utility pole, ejecting one passenger and partially ejecting another.
Passengers Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, were killed. Six others were taken to the hospital.
Ventura County court records show Rios had prior convictions involving drug possession and driving with a suspended license.
A Metro spokesperson confirmed Rios was injured during the collision and was treated at a hospital before being taken into custody.
She was scheduled to appear in court Thursday but that hearing was postponed until Friday due to her medical issues.
Rios is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
The LAPD is handling the investigation into the collision, which occurred just two hours before an NBC4 helicopter covering it crashed nearby.
That crash killed three people, including reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. The third victim, who was a bystander on the ground, was identified as 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia.
Related posts:
