Los Angeles County prosecutors have formally charged a 36-year-old woman in the deadly Chatsworth Metro bus crash with second-degree murder, DUI and reckless driving. District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Thursday that Bailee Lynn Rios, a Simi Valley resident, faces charges in the wreck that killed two bus passengers.
Hochman said the case was a preventable tragedy, criticizing what he described as the defendant’s decision to drive while under the influence, go the wrong way and run a red light before slamming into the bus. If convicted, Rios could face life in prison.
Authorities said the crash happened around 5 p.m. Tuesday in Chatsworth, when Rios was driving south in a northbound lane on De Soto Avenue, ignored the signal at Nordhoff Street and struck the side of Metro Bus 166 as it was traveling east. The impact sent the bus into a utility pole, ejecting one passenger and seriously injuring another.
The passengers who died were Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31. Six other passengers were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Source:KTLA
