From NPR · · 2m
SUV driver charged with murder after LA bus crash
A speeding, impaired driver killed two bus riders. Then a news helicopter covering the crash went down, killing three more.
In brief
A speeding, impaired driver killed two bus riders. Then a news helicopter covering the crash went down, killing three more. A single collision triggered a cascade of tragedy: an impaired driver caused a bus crash that killed two people, and the news helicopter sent to cover it crashed moments later, killing its pilot…
Driver charged with murder in bus crash
Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, was speeding and under the influence when she drove her SUV the wrong way down a busy avenue, blew a red light, and plowed into a Los Angeles city bus on Tuesday, killing two riders.
Two bus riders killed in collision
Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, died in the crash. Rios faces two counts of second-degree murder and is being held on 4.1 million dollars bail.
Castillo was a daily bus commuter
Castillo worked at a car parts warehouse and took the same bus home every day. His daughter says he loved people-watching from the back seat and called her after work without fail.
“The back was his favorite seat. He liked people-watching.”
News helicopter crashes while covering collision
A TV news helicopter sent to cover the bus crash went down moments later in the Chatsworth neighborhood, killing pilot George Marciniw, reporter Eliana Moreno, and a man on the ground, Edy Gutierrez Mejia.
Alarm sounds before helicopter loses altitude
Video broadcast by the helicopter crew captured an alarm in the cockpit as it lost altitude. A woman's voice says "You can't pull up?" before the video stops as the chopper neared the ground.
“You can't pull up?”
Engine power loss suspected in crash
Aviation safety experts say the alarm suggests a potential loss of engine power and dangerous decrease in rotor speed. The pilot appeared to be attempting an emergency maneuver to restart the rotor.
Pilot and reporter worked together since 2023
George Marciniw and Eliana Moreno both worked for Angel City Air, providing aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52. Moreno joined the company in 2010 after earning her broadcast journalism degree from Chapman University.
Eight fatal news helicopter crashes since 2000
This crash is one of at least eight fatal collisions involving news helicopters in the United States since 2000, which have killed 16 people total.
Community gathers to honor victims
Hundreds gathered Thursday evening in Chatsworth for a candlelit vigil honoring all five victims. Friends and family brought photos and joined in prayer for those lost.
What to remember
A single collision triggered a cascade of tragedy: an impaired driver caused a bus crash that killed two people, and the news helicopter sent to cover it crashed moments later, killing its pilot, reporter, and a person on the ground.
