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Family members ran out of a Los Angeles courtroom when graphic evidence was shown during the first day of the deadly Windsor Hills car crash trial, in which six people were killed.
Prosecutors started presenting their case on Tuesday, September 8, after traveling nurse Nicole Linton was accused of causing a fiery car crash on August 4, 2022.
Prosecutors claimed that Linton, 39, sped up to about 130 mph when she blew through the intersection of Slauson and La Brea in her Mercedes that day. CCTV and surveillance camera footage captured the shocking aftermath of the impact, when multiple vehicles erupted into flames near a gas station.
She has since been charged with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and she has pleaded not guilty.
Several people took the stand to testify on Tuesday, including witnesses and bystanders that were injured in the crash.
Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom, but ABC 7 reported that gruesome evidence was presented in court.
During the opening statements, prosecutors said that “the defendant killed six people” and played surveillance video of the collision. As the footage played, family members of the victims reacted emotionally.
As for the defense, they argued that Linton was suffering a mental health crisis and she may have experienced a lapse of consciousness at the time of the crash.
Linton’s defense attorney said during the opening remarks that the defendant suffered a medical emergency while she was driving home from a nursing job. Linton allegedly suffered a seizure before the crash, and they pointed out that there was no evidence she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The defense also said that she was not on her phone, she was not racing anyone and she was not angry at the time of the crash.
Prosecutors, however, said they intend to present evidence that contradicts the claim that Linton suffered a seizure, and they argued that Linton was upset at work and was driving angrily at the time.
Victim Asherey Ryan was eight-and-a-half months pregnant when she was killed in the crash. Ryan, 23, was traveling with her boyfriend, Reynold Lester, and their 11-month-old son, Alonzo Quintero, on the way to a prenatal appointment when they were hit. All three people in the car were killed, as well as Ryan’s unborn son, Armani.
Nathesia Lewis and her friend, Lynette Noble, also died in the collision. Meanwhile, nine other people, including Linton, were injured.
Prosecutors said that the force of the crash threw Alonzo through the air, and he landed at the feet of a woman at a nearby gas station. Surveillance footage was then shown of the witnesses picking the child up from the ground.
The prosecution also shared graphic images, including of Ryan’s charred body and her unborn son. They then argued that the force of the crash caused the injuries, which ultimately led to their deaths.
Prosecutors went on to say that the impact of the crash was so hard that Armani was ripped from Ryan’s womb. One video showed the baby lying in the street with its umbilical cord still attached.
Those in the courtroom made audible reactions to the evidence, and some family members were seen running out of the courtroom. Linton was also visibly emotional and cried at times during the hearing, per the report.
Additionally, the jurors were visibly distraught at one point.
The trial is expected to last at least six weeks. If Linton is convicted on all charges, she could be sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison.
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