Nicole Linton was found guilty Friday of six counts of second degree murder for the 2022 crash in the Windsor Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles that killed six people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn son.
Jurors in downtown Los Angeles reached their verdict after about three hours of deliberations.
On August 4, 2022, Linton, a traveling nurse, drove her Mercedes through a red light at the intersection of Slauson and La Brea avenues at about 130 mph, according to prosecutors. Her car slammed into traffic, setting off a fiery chain of collisions involving nine vehicles. Nine other people were injured, including Linton.
Among those killed were Asherey Ryan, who was more than eight months pregnant and on her way to a prenatal appointment, her 11 month old son Alonzo Quintero, and her boyfriend Reynold Lester, 24, the father of her unborn baby. Two other women and a man also died.
Ryan’s sister, Sha’seana Kerr, said at the time that Ryan had decided to take her son along for the ride. “She literally walked out the door, because we all live together, and she said, ‘Ok, I love y’all. I’m going to my doctor’s appointment to check up on the baby,'” Kerr said.
The trial came down to one question: what was happening in Linton’s mind when she hit the gas. Second degree murder in this case required prosecutors to prove implied malice, meaning Linton knew her actions were dangerous to human life and did them anyway.
Prosecutors argued she did. They told jurors there was no evidence of a seizure, that Linton had been upset at work and was driving angrily, and that she was off her medication at the time. They also pointed to her driving record, which included three prior speeding violations and two earlier collisions she caused. A retired California Highway Patrol employee who inspected her Mercedes testified that he found nothing wrong with the car that would have contributed to the crash.
Linton’s defense argued she was in the middle of a mental health crisis and suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel. A neurologist testified that he believed she “likely suffered a seizure,” and a paramedic who treated her said she appeared to be in an altered mental state, repeatedly asking the same questions.
Defense attorney Jovan Blacknell called the crash catastrophic and the loss of life horrendous, but told jurors that “Nicole Linton didn’t commit the crime of murder.” Linton chose not to testify. She cried at times in court.
Her family has long maintained the crash was not intentional. Her sister Camille wrote on a website supporting Linton that it “did not happen on purpose, but was a tragic accident.”
Linton has been held without bail since the crash. She now faces up to 90 years to life in prison. A sentencing date has not been announced.
