LOS ANGELES — A woman accused of driving an SUV that slammed into a Los Angeles Metro bus, killing two people, was charged with murder on Wednesday, authorities said.
That incident was a prelude to a second tragedy on Tuesday, when a news helicopter covering the collision crashed several hours later, killing two KNBC news crew members and a pedestrian.
According to a news release from the Los Angeles Department, the driver of the gray 2004 Ford Expedition, Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, of Simi Valley, was arrested on Wednesday, KABC reported. She faces two charges of suspicion of murder and her bail was set at $4.03 million, police said.
The victims were identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office as Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46, KTLA reported.
The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that both victims were passengers on the bus, according to the television station.
[ 3 killed after television news helicopter crashes in Los Angeles ]
The Metro bus was crossing an intersection when it was T-boned by a gray 2004 Ford Expedition, sending both vehicles onto the curb, KABC reported. According to the police news release, Rios allegedly ran a red light while traveling north on De Soto Avenue.
The SUV barely missed a vehicle on Nordhoff Street before striking the bus, police said.
The impact of the collision fully ejected one passenger from the bus and partially ejected a second one, the news release stated.
Debris from the crash also damaged a blue 2024 Honda CR-V that was stopped at the intersection in the northbound lane of De Soto Avenue, police said.
In addition to the two deceased victims, six other people were injured and transported to different area hospitals, KABC reported.
Rios’ mother, Cindy Rios, said she was shocked and saddened by the string of events, The Associated Press reported.
“The fact that my daughter was involved and was the cause of it is just extremely disturbing,” Cindy Rios told the news organization in a phone interview Wednesday. “If anything, I’m sorry for the other families.
“My daughter’s alive. People lost their lives.”
In a statement, Weida’s father said his family was “still processing this loss,” KABC reported.
“Gage was such a kind, caring, and selfless son with a heart of gold,” he said. “Heading into work and the unimaginable happens.”
Castillo’s daughter, Johaunna Castillo, said a GoFundMe p;age was set up to help pay for Daniel Castillo’s funeral, according to KABC.
“Our family is devastatingly heartbroken by the loss of our beloved dad, and we are still trying to process the unimaginable reality that he is no longer with us,” she said in a statement. “He was truly an amazing person who had a way of bringing laughter and light into every room he walked into. His presence made the people around him feel loved, welcomed, and cared for.”
Approximately two hours after the collision, a news crew from KNBC was among several Los Angeles news outlets that were covering the collision.
Killed in the helicopter crash were Angel City Air employees Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw, KNBC reported. The third person was killed on the ground and died at the scene.