Overview
- Prosecutors began opening statements on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in the case against Nicole Lorraine Linton, who is charged with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
- The crash occurred in August 2022 when prosecutors say a Mercedes ran a red light at La Brea and Slauson and struck multiple vehicles, triggering fires that killed six people including a pregnant woman, her infant and the woman’s unborn child.
- Prosecutors say the car’s electronic data recorder shows the accelerator was fully pressed and the vehicle reached about 130 miles per hour seconds before impact, and they will show surveillance video of the red‑light violation.
- Linton’s defense says she suffered a mental‑health crisis and a possible lapse of consciousness while driving, a claim the trial will test against the data and Linton’s prior history.
- The collision left catastrophic wreckage and multiple injuries (reports list eight or nine injured), Linton is held without bail, and a conviction on all counts could mean a life‑long prison term.