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Los Angeles Bus Collision Driver Arrested, Helicopter Crash Follows

In a single night that has rattled the city, a Los Angeles motorist was taken into custody after her SUV collided with a city bus, killing two and injuring six. The crash was followed two hours later by the fiery down‑fall of an NBC/Telemundo news helicopter that was covering the scene, killing its pilot, a reporter and a pedestrian on the ground. The case now faces murder charges and a lengthy investigation that may last months.

The driver, 36‑year‑old Bailee Lynn Rios of Simi Valley, was driving a 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down De Soto Avenue, ran a red light, struck a vehicle and then ploughed into a city bus in the Chatsworth neighbourhood on the evening of 15 September. The collision killed Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, and left six others wounded. Police carried Rios into the Los Angeles County jail the following night, setting bail at $4 million. The district attorney’s office is reviewing the case before deciding whether to file the murder charges in court or pursue other counts Scripps News.

Media additions

Two hours after the bus crash, a news helicopter operated by NBC and Telemundo was covering the scene when it rapidly lost altitude and crashed into a storage facility. The aircraft, a Eurocopter AS350, caught fire and destroyed at least four cars and two storage containers. The pilot, George Marciniw, and reporter Eliana Moreno were killed, and a 29‑year‑old man named Edy Gutierrez Mejia was killed on the ground. The incident is under investigation by the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration Yahoo News.

The dash‑cam footage captured by a driver in the area shows the helicopter dropping from the sky, with an alarm sounding inside the cockpit before the aircraft plummeted. The NTSB has released a statement that the audio “is consistent with the engine changing speed and advisory tones for the pilot.” Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti, who has investigated NTSB and FAA cases, said the alarm likely signalled a low rotor RPM warning that the main rotor was no longer spinning fast enough to maintain lift. He added that the pilot might have tried an emergency manoeuvre to use wind to spin the rotor again, but that the low altitude made that unlikely Wpxi.

Rios’s mother, Cindy Rios, expressed shock and sadness over the chain of events. She said she had not spoken to her daughter since the arrest and had not been contacted by law enforcement. In a phone interview, she remarked on the distress of being involved in the tragedy Scripps News.

The victims of the bus crash have been identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. Daniel Castillo, 46, was survived by his four children and a daughter, Johaunna, who set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs. Gage Weida, 31, was described by his family as a kind, caring son. Both families are grieving the loss of loved ones New York Post.

The helicopter crash victims were identified by NBC4 Los Angeles as Eliana Moreno and George Marciniw. Moreno had been a reporter for the station for several years, while Marciniw had decades of flight experience. A memorial was set up at Whiteman Airport, where the chopper was based, and colleagues paid tribute to their colleagues as “the team in the sky” WXYZ.

Investigators are also looking into the bus collision itself. The NTSB has called the dash‑cam footage the most important evidence and will release a preliminary report in 30 days. The helicopter crash remains under investigation by the NTSB and FAA, with the final report expected to take more than a year Yahoo News.

Timeline of Events

• 15 September, evening: Rios’s SUV collides with a city bus in Chatsworth.
• 15 September, ~20:00: Two people die, six injured.
• 15 September, ~22:00: News helicopter crashes while covering the scene.
• 16 September: Rios arrested; bail set.

What to Watch Next

• The NTSB’s preliminary report on the helicopter crash, due in 30 days.
• Follow-up investigations into the bus collision by the city police and the district attorney’s office.

The dual tragedies have drawn national attention to the safety of news helicopters, the conduct of motorists on busy streets, and the procedures for investigating complex accidents. As the investigations unfold, the city and the aviation community will be looking for lessons that could prevent similar incidents in the future.