The traveling nurse charged with the deaths of six people, including an unborn baby, has a history of issues, according to the prosecutor and her own attorney.
LOS ANGELES — The driver suspected of causing a fiery crash near Los Angeles that killed five people — including a pregnant woman, her baby and her unborn baby — has been charged with six counts of murder.
Nicole Lorraine Linton, a traveling nurse from Houston, was also charged Monday with a vehicular manslaughter and was ordered to be held without bail.
Editor’s note: The video above originally aired on Aug. 8
The 37-year-old didn’t enter a plea Monday at her first court appearance where she arrived in a wheelchair. Prosecutors said her Ella Mercedes-Benz was doing 90 mph last Thursday when it plowed into cars in an intersection in Windsor Hills, setting several vehicles on fire.
RELATED: Houston nurse charged with six counts of murder following fiery California wreck
A 23-year-old woman, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant, her unborn child, her 11-month-old son, who was about to celebrate his first birthday, and her boyfriend all died in one car. The identities of two other women who were killed had not been released as of Tuesday.
If convicted of all charges, Linton could face up to 90 years to life in prison.
What we’ve learned about Nicole Linton
- In court, Linton’s lawyer, Halim Dhanidina, said his client has an out-of-state history of “profound mental health issues” that might be linked to the crash but didn’t specify, the Los Angeles Times reported.
- Authorities said they haven’t found any evidence that Linton was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Prosecutors said she had at least 13 previous crashes — including a 2020 injury accident that totaled two cars — and knew the threat posed by her driving behavior, the Times said.
- Linton was also believed to be a flight risk since she works as a traveling nurse, so the judge denied a request to set bail.
Editor’s note: Linton claims she got her nursing degree in Houston after moving here in 2014 and worked at local hospitals as an ICU nurse before becoming a traveling nurse. We are working to verify those claims.
RELATED: Houston nurse accused in fiery California wreck that killed multiple people
WARNING: Graphic video of crash