Four years after a Mercedes-Benz tore through a Windsor Hills intersection at more than 100 miles per hour and killed six people, the woman accused of causing the crash is finally set to stand trial on murder charges. Nicole Linton, a former nurse, faces six counts of murder and five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter in connection with the August 2022 collision at La Brea and Slauson avenues.
The trial's approach was reported by CBS News Los Angeles, which noted that Linton will face a jury four years after the crash that devastated a Los Angeles family and shook the surrounding community. The six people killed were 23-year-old Asherey Ryan, her unborn son Armani Lester, her 11-month-old son Alonzo Quintero, her 24-year-old boyfriend Reynold Lester, and two friends riding in another vehicle, 42-year-old Nathesia Lewis and 38-year-old Lynette Noble, according to CBS News. Ryan and her family were reportedly on their way to a prenatal doctor's appointment when their car was struck.
Telemetry Shows Full Acceleration Through Red Light
Black box data pulled from Linton's 2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe showed she accelerated from 122 mph to 130 mph in the five seconds before impact, keeping the accelerator pedal fully depressed while maintaining direct steering control as she blew through a red light in a 35 mph zone, according to the Los Angeles Times. The multi-vehicle collision sparked several car fires and destroyed a gas station sign at the intersection.
That telemetry evidence is central to prosecutors' argument that Linton was conscious and in control of the vehicle, directly countering defense claims that she was unconscious or incapacitated at the moment of the crash. The Times reported that Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón also confirmed in August 2022 that toxicology testing showed no evidence of alcohol or drug use in Linton's system at the time of the wreck, ruling out chemical impairment as a factor.
Why Six Murder Counts but Only Five Manslaughter Charges
Gascón explained that California law permits murder charges for the death of an unborn fetus but does not allow vehicular manslaughter charges for an unborn child, which is why prosecutors filed six counts of murder but only five counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, per the Times. If convicted as charged on all counts, Linton faces a maximum penalty of 90 years to life in California state prison, CBS News reported. She has remained held without bail since her arrest and arraignment.
Prosecutors have built their implied-malice murder case in part on Linton's driving history. California Highway Patrol investigators identified 13 prior traffic crash incidents linked to Linton in other jurisdictions, which prosecutors have incorporated into their argument that she was aware of the dangers of reckless driving, the Times reported. Defense representatives have disputed whether she was at fault in all of those reported incidents.
Defense Points to Mental Health History, Prosecutors Cite Search History
Pre-trial court filings by Deputy District Attorney Brittany Vannoy revealed that defense disclosures showed Linton had a documented history of severe mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, multiple involuntary psychiatric holds known as 5150s, and prior incidents of self-harm, according to the Times. Prosecutors cited that history in their argument to hold Linton without bail.
Court records introduced during pre-trial proceedings showed that three days before the crash, Linton conducted online searches concerning suicide, including phrases such as “Can you see your death coming?” and “Why do I feel death is near?” The Times reported that prosecutors argued these searches demonstrated active consideration of suicide before she got behind the wheel. In March 2025, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo rejected a defense motion to dismiss the charges, ruling against claims by defense attorney Travis Daily that the collision was a catastrophic accident resulting from a sudden neurological seizure, as reported by MyNewsLA.
A Community Still Marking the Loss
The case's central legal question for jurors will be whether Linton acted with conscious disregard for human life or suffered an involuntary medical emergency beyond her control. In the years since the crash, civil rights activist Najee Ali and Project Islamic Hope established the Slauson 6 Community Memorial Bench and Garden at La Brea and Slauson avenues, hosting annual memorial barbecues and interfaith prayer vigils every August, according to EURweb. The memorial displays portraits honoring all six victims killed in the crash.
