Los Angeles driver charged with second-degree murder after bus crash that also killed news helicopter crew
Bailee Lynn Rios was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, DUI and reckless driving for ramming a city bus in Chatsworth, killing two passengers; a news helicopter covering the incident also crashed, killing three people.
A Los Angeles woman has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, driving under the influence of a drug and reckless driving after she drove a 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy street, ran a red light and collided with a city bus in Chatsworth on Tuesday. The crash killed two bus passengers, one of whom was fully ejected and another partially ejected, according to police.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Rios faces a potential life sentence and is being held on $4 million bail. He added that investigators found drugs in the vehicle and that Rios was traveling well above the speed limit when she entered opposing traffic.
While news crews were covering the crash, a NewsChopper 4 helicopter owned by Angel City Air went down nearby, killing reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw and a pedestrian, Edy Gutierrez Mejia. Moreno had described the bus collision as “horrific” during the live broadcast.
Rios, 36, was taken to a local hospital after being rescued by first responders. Her criminal record includes a 2022 conviction for driving with a suspended license; earlier DUI and drug-possession charges were dismissed. The district attorney’s office is reviewing her full record and will schedule an arraignment on Friday.
“What is particularly tragic about this case is that this is a preventable tragedy,” Hochman told reporters.
“She will be looking at a maximum sentence of life in prison,” Hochman added.
The incident has left the Chatsworth community in mourning, and authorities continue to investigate both the bus crash and the helicopter accident.