A driver has been taken into custody on murder charges after officials reported that she crashed her SUV into a city bus in Los Angeles, resulting in the deaths of at least two individuals and injuries to six others. This incident preceded another tragic event: the fiery crash of a television news helicopter that was reporting on the initial collision.
Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, from Simi Valley, was arrested on Monday night and is currently being detained at a Los Angeles facility with bail set at $4 million U.S. Authorities are forwarding the case to the district attorney’s office, which will determine if charges will be filed in court or if other actions are warranted.
No information was immediately available regarding a lawyer who could represent her.
The helicopter, operated by NBC and Telemundo, crashed approximately two hours after police stated that Rios drove her 2004 Ford Expedition against traffic on a busy street, ran a red light, collided with another vehicle, and ultimately hit the bus. According to police, one passenger was entirely ejected from the bus while another was partially thrown from it.
Flowers are placed at the site of the news helicopter crash in L.A. on Wednesday. (Ethan Swope/The Associated Press)
News crew fatalities
Colleen Williams, an anchor for NBC4 Los Angeles, confirmed during a live broadcast that two individuals aboard the helicopter were killed when it crashed. A spokesperson from the Los Angeles Fire Department mentioned that at least one other person died on the ground.
“We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, process it,” Williams stated, her voice trembling with emotion. Shortly thereafter, the broadcast was interrupted.
Williams and the station’s website identified the victims on the helicopter as Eliana Moreno, a well-known voice for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 during aerial coverage, and pilot George Marciniw. Both were employed by Angel City Air, which managed the helicopter.
This still image provided by KABC-TV shows the scene of the helicopter crash. (KABC-TV/The Associated Press)
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is looking into the helicopter crash and indicated on Wednesday that video footage from the area and inside the helicopter will be vital to their investigation.
“The video recorded while the reporter was providing live coverage,” NTSB investigator Fabian Salazar told reporters at a press briefing. “That video is likely the most significant evidence we have uncovered thus far.”
Salazar noted that sounds captured in that video matched the helicopter’s engine changing speeds, as well as what he suggested were likely advisory alerts for the pilot.
Moreno, who was born in Orange County, joined the Angel City Air helicopter team in 2010, the same year she graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism and political science from Chapman University. She had reported for multiple Southern California news organizations and began flying with Marciniw in 2023, according to the NBC4 website.
Marciniw was a Southern California native and graduated from Burbank High School in 1974.
-
TSB renews calls for updated helicopter safety rules following fatal northern Alberta crash
-
Video
1 dead after plane crashes into 2 vehicles on B.C. road
“The loss of five individuals from Los Angeles is incredibly painful,” stated Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “I know the Chatsworth community, affected deeply, will be in mourning for a significant time.”
At least four vehicles and two storage containers on the ground were engulfed in flames after the helicopter caught fire, which was swiftly extinguished, according to officials.
“The helicopter itself is almost completely destroyed,” said fire spokesperson Capt. Branden Silverman.
Two individuals were transported to a hospital, according to fire department battalion chief Rico A. Gross. Their conditions have not been disclosed.
NBC4 and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles expressed in a statement that they “are profoundly saddened” and extended “sincere condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed gratitude to the emergency responders involved in both incidents and remarked in a post on X that “our hearts are with the victims and their families.”
The helicopter crashed in the same Los Angeles neighborhood where news crews were reporting on a bus accident that resulted in two fatalities and six injuries. (Ronaldo Bolanos /Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration announced that personnel would arrive on Wednesday to initiate an investigation into the helicopter crash’s cause.
Since 2000, there have been at least eight fatal crashes involving news helicopters in the U.S., resulting in the deaths of 16 individuals, based on a review of federal accident records and media reports.
Some of these incidents occurred during live broadcasts, including a midair collision of helicopters in Phoenix in 2007 and a deadly crash involving a Seattle news helicopter in 2000.
