Texas nurse charged with 6 counts of murder in fiery LA crash was involved in 13 prior wrecks: prosecutors

The traveling nurse from Texas charged over a fiery car crash in a Los Angeles neighborhood that left six people dead, including a pregnant mother on the way to a prenatal checkup and a baby, was involved in more than a dozen prior wrecks, according to prosecutors. 

Nicole Linton, 37, of Houston, was charged on Monday with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

The announcement came after she allegedly barreled a Mercedes down La Brea Avenue on Aug. 4 at high speeds before running a red light and crashing into several vehicles in the Windsor Hills neighborhood, igniting a fiery wreck seen on surveillance cameras.

Prosecutors alleged that Linton had been involved in 13 car crashes — both in and out of the state of California — before Thursday’s wreck, the Los Angeles Times reported. They noted one in 2020 involved bodily injury and two cars being totaled but did not elaborate with more information. 

LOS ANGELES DA GEORGE GASCON ANNOUNCES CHARGES FOR DRIVER IN FIERY CRASH THAT KILLED 6 

Linton’s attorney, Halim Dhanidina, requested that the arraignment be continued until October to allow time to review the nurse’s out-of-state history of "documented profound mental health issues," according to the Times.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Monday that so far evidence does not suggest Linton was under the influence of alcohol but investigations into the cause of the crash remain active.

Those killed included 23-year-old Asherey Ryan, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, her 11-month-old son and Ryan’s boyfriend. Two other women, who have yet to be identified, in another vehicle also were killed. Six other vehicles were involved in the collision, including five people with minor injuries in an SUV and another driver in another vehicle, according to prosecutors. The case remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

"Today, we begin the process of holding accountable the person responsible for the deaths of six people, including a pregnant woman, and their families," Gascón said in a statement. "This is a case that will always be remembered for the senseless loss of so many innocent lives as they simply went about their daily routines. I want to thank our prosecutors and the investigating officers at the California Highway Patrol for their work on this case."

"While the wreckage of this fiery crash at this intersection was removed and traffic eventually resumed, there is catastrophic damage to the families and friends of those killed and injured," he added. "It is not only a tremendous loss to the families but our entire community who learned of this incredible tragedy or have watched the now viral video of the collision. I’m sure this is a time of great sorrow and grieving for the families and friends of those who will be forever affected by what has transpired."

Linton reportedly had been working as a nurse at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center. After the crash, she was hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center over the weekend and was being held on $2 million bail. She was released from the hospital Monday and her bail was increased to $9 million.

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At her court appearance later that day, a judged ordered her held without bail, but a hearing is scheduled next week to review the matter, KABC-TV reported.