Who Is Bailee Lynn Rios? SUV Driver Arrested After LA Metro Bus Collision That KIlled 2 Before News Helcopter Crash
Bailee Lynn Rios, a 36-year-old woman from Simi Valley, has been identified as the driver accused of crashing an SUV into a Los Angeles Metro bus in Chatsworth, killing two people and injuring six others.
Rios was arrested in connection with the deadly Sept.15 collision and is being held at a Los Angeles County jail on $4 million bail, according to police and booking information. The case is being forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which will determine what charges to pursue.
The crash became part of a much larger tragedy after a news helicopter covering the collision crashed nearby about two hours later, killing reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw and a person on the ground, Edy Gutierrez Mejia.
Who Is Bailee Lynn Rios?
Bailee Lynn Rios was driving a 2004 Ford Expedition when it collided with a Metro bus in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles, police said.
Authorities said the SUV was traveling the wrong way on a busy avenue, ran a red light and struck another vehicle before crashing into the bus. Police have also cited suspected reckless driving and possible DUI as part of the investigation.
Rios was among those injured in the initial collision and was subsequently arrested after being released from the hospital.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified 31-year-old Gage Weida and 46-year-old Daniel Castillo as the two people killed in the bus crash.
News Helicopter Crash
The deadly Metro bus collision was being covered by a news helicopter when another tragedy unfolded.
About two hours after the initial crash, the helicopter went down in the Chatsworth neighborhood. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were killed, along with 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground.
Authorities have not established what caused the helicopter crash. The helicopter accident is being investigated separately by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
“Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight’s devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X.
