The driver accused of crashing into a LA Metro bus in Chatsworth and killing two passengers was on drugs and speeding and will face second-degree murder charges and additional counts of driving under the influence and reckless driving, the Los Angeles County district attorney said on Thursday, Sept. 17.
The exact type and quantity of narcotics that the driver, Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, was under the influence of was being chemically evaluated, but they were “legal, hard drugs,” Hochman said.
If convicted on all charges, Rios could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The Tuesday, Sept. 15, crash occurred when the Ford Expedition SUV driven by Rios on the wrong side of the road ran a red light and collided with the bus at DeSoto Avenue and Nordhoff Street.
Rios was previously found guilty of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance in a 2015 incident, Ventura County court records show. Rios also was found guilty of driving a motor vehicle while her license was suspended or revoked in 2022, also according to that county’s records.
The two men killed in the crash were Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46, of Arleta. Weida’s city of residence was unclear.
Weida’s parents were planning to visit this upcoming weekend for his birthday.
“Instead, they’re not going to be coming out for his birthday — they’re coming out for his funeral,” the DA said.
Five other people were injured in the crash, two seriously, Hochman said. The collision’s force threw one rider through a bus window and another out of the bus, Hochman said.
“Ms. Rios did not have to get behind the wheel while impaired. 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 and drive her SUV right into a Metro bus. That was all preventable…” Hochman said.
The bus’ operator was among the injured, said Stephanie Wiggins, the CEO of Metro.
Shortly after the bus crash, an NBC4 news helicopter, which had been broadcasting the bus collision, appeared to lose power and crashed in a nearby warehouse parking lot, killing reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, and a bystander on the ground, Edy Fernando Gutiérrez Mejía.
The helicopter crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
“When that investigation is complete, we’ll certainly consider whether or not there is any tie-in with our current prosecution,” Hochman said about Rios. “If there is, then we will consider the appropriate charges,” Hochman said.
Rios is in custody and being held on $4.1 million bail, Hochman said.