The woman accused of causing a deadly bus crash in Chatsworth that killed two people and injured six others has been charged with second-degree murder, driving under the influence and reckless driving, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, was allegedly driving a gray 2004 Ford Expedition southbound in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue when she ran a red light at Nordhoff Street and crashed into the side of a Metro bus.
The LA County Department of the Medical Examiner identified the people killed as Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46.
The crash caused one passenger to be fully ejected from the bus and another to be partially ejected. Five people were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, while another suffered major injuries.
The LAPD said one person was found dead inside the bus, while another person who was ejected from the vehicle also died.
Hochman said prosecutors believe Rios was impaired by drugs when the crash occurred and that narcotics were found inside the SUV.
“The evidence will show, when we present it, that she was impaired by drugs at the time,” Hochman said. “In fact, she had narcotics in the car at that time, she was driving well beyond the speed limit.”
Aerial footage from the scene showed the SUV lodged in the middle of the Metro bus.
While emergency crews were responding to the crash, an NBC Los Angeles news helicopter crashed several blocks away. Firefighters said three people were killed in that crash, including two NBC Los Angeles employees, while another person was taken to a nearby hospital in unknown condition.
Rios was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in Ventura County in 2016. In 2024, she was convicted of driving with a suspended or revoked license, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Rios is being held on $4.1 million bail. She was scheduled to appear in court Thursday, but the hearing was postponed for medical reasons, according to CBS.
Prosecutors said Rios faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted as charged.