The woman whose wrong-way driving incident led her to crash into a Metro L.A. bus on Tuesday, in an accident that was being covered by a news helicopter that crashed in Los Angeles on Tuesday and killed three people, was arrested on a murder charge following the massive tragedy.
Bailee Lynn Rios is behind bars in L.A. after her SUV crashed into the bus, killing at least two people and injuring six.
Reporter Eliana Moreno and the helicopter’s pilot, George Marciniw, who were covering the accident for NBC4 in Los Angeles and Telemundo 5, died in the helicopter crash on Tuesday evening. The crash involving NewsChopper4 occurred just before 7 p.m. between two commercial buildings at 9151 Mason Ave., a few blocks from the bus collision scene at Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The third victim killed in the helicopter crash was reportedly on the ground in the business parking lot where the helicopter crashed; the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified him as 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia.
“This is a heartbreaking night for our city, and my thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with the families and loved ones that we lost today,” L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said at a Wednesday press conference. “Our hearts are with those impacted by the bus collision and the helicopter crash, and with the entire community who lost members of their team while they were doing their job.”
At approximately 6:57 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the incident, according to Rico A. Gross, a fire department battalion chief who spoke after Bass on Wednesday. He added that over 70 firefighters were at the scene. There are no immediate details on what caused the helicopter crash, but an alarm could be heard sounding inside the cockpit as, according to witnesses on the ground, it began to sway and move in an uncontrolled manner, then fell to the ground.
“We did have a loss of lives of three members of the community, and two members transported to the hospital,” Gross said at the press conference.
The vehicular accident on the ground that led the reporter and pilot to take to the skies involved Bailee Lynn Rios. Police say Rios drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue, ran a red light, and struck another vehicle before hitting the Metro bus. One passenger was fully ejected from their seat on the bus from the impact; another was partially ejected.
The 36-year-old was booked Wednesday morning on suspicion of murder and is being held at a L.A. jail with bail set at $4 million, according to the LAPD. The case is with the district attorney’s office, which will decide on charges.
Moreno and Marciniw were both employees of Angel City Air, which also owns and operates KTLA’s Sky5. They were on the scene capturing live aerial footage of the fatal collision involving Rios’s SUV.
“You can’t pull up?” Moreno is heard asking Marciniw from inside the helicopter on the live footage before the camera begins shaking and the signal is cut off.
The explosion from the helicopter’s impact caused several fires involving nearby vehicles and storage containers.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, saying in an overnight statement Wednesday that it is investigating the Sept. 15 crash of a Eurocopter AS 350 B2 helicopter in Chatsworth, California.
NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 issued a joint statement expressing condolences for the pair: “We are deeply saddened to share that a helicopter providing aerial news coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 was involved in a fatal accident in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”
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