Los Angeles driver pleads not guilty to bus crash murders
Bailee Lynn Rios pleaded not guilty on 24 September to two counts of second-degree murder, DUI and reckless driving for the 16 September crash in Chatsworth that killed two Metro bus passengers and preceded a news-helicopter crash, and she remains jailed on $4. 1 million bail. The collision occurred when Rios, 36, drove her SUV the wrong way down an avenue and struck a Los Angeles Metro bus, killing two riders and injuring five others. A news helicopter that arrived to cover the scene crashed minutes later, adding three fatalities.
Prosecutors subsequently charged Rios with two murders, DUI and reckless driving, and a federal investigation into the helicopter accident was launched. Earlier reports described the incident as a suspected DUI crash, noted Rios' history of drug-related offenses, and said she was taken into custody on suspicion of murder. The crash prompted investigations by local authorities, the NTSB and the FAA.
