As the trial has begun, it’s been four years since the fatal Windsor Hills crash that claimed six lives, and now the families involved will learn the fate of Nicole Linton, the person who caused the crash. In Aug. 2022, Linton was driving a Mercedes at about 130 mph when she sped through the intersection of Slauson and La Brea, triggering a fiery collision that shocked the community. The crash took the lives of Asherey Ryan, her unborn child, her boyfriend Reynold Lester, and three members of another family, Nathesia Lewis and her children Alexis and Dean.
The 39-year-old faces six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. She has pleaded not guilty.
Cameras weren’t allowed inside the court, but Linton appeared wearing a black suit jacket, glasses, and a headwrap.
Several people, including witnesses and bystanders injured in the crash, took the witness stand on 9/8.
During opening statements, prosecutors played a video of the deadly accident for jurors and those in the courtroom, causing several family members of the victims to leave the courthouse emotionally.
“Those are images that I, the family, and everyone who witnessed will never forget,” said activist and spokesperson for the victim’s families, Najee Ali. “Their family members are not going to be brought back, but it’s important to have justice, but also closure, because Nicole Linton not only murdered six members of our community; it was as if she killed the whole community, because that community of Windsor Hills is still traumatized.”
According to her defense team, Linton was suffering a mental health crisis at the time of the crash and may have experienced a lapse of consciousness. Prosecutors are expected to argue that Linton was aware of her history of mental health issues before getting behind the wheel.
During the first day, Linton’s defense attorney said the traveling nurse had just left her job and suffered a medical emergency while driving home. They claim Linton suffered a seizure before the crash, and add that there was no evidence that she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They also said she was not on her phone.
Prosecutors refuted that claim and told jurors they would present evidence to prove that Linton didn’t suffer from any medical condition and that she was previously angry from work, causing her to exhibit that emotion through her driving.
The trial is expected to last at least six weeks before jurors begin deliberating. If convicted on all charges, Linton could spend the rest of her life in prison.
