LOS ANGELES, CA (August 11, 2022) – Lynette Noble and Natesha Lewis were identified as two of the victims who were killed in a crash at a Windsor Hills intersection. Their names have been revealed by family members and mourners at a memorial, according to various media reports today.
Friends and family of Lynette Noble gathered at a memorial on Wednesday night to pay respects to Noble, and told Fox 11 they had no idea about her death until days after the crash that happened last Thursday.
The other victim, 43-year-old Natesha Lewis, was also killed in the crash. Jasmond Nelson, her sister, told Fox 11 that she and her family also found out Lewis was killed days after the crash.
A nurse from Houston accused of running a red light and speeding into a Windsor Hills intersection — sparking a fiery chain-reaction crash that killed six people, including a pregnant mother, her infant son and unborn baby — remains held without bail after being charged with six counts of murder.
Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, was also charged Monday with five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for last Thursday’s crash at La Brea and Slauson avenues. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said his office cannot file the manslaughter charge in a case involving an unborn child.
Linton — who made her first appearance in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Monday afternoon shortly after the charges were filed — was ordered to be held without bail at the prosecution’s request.
She is due back in court for a bail review hearing next Monday, with arraignment postponed until Oct. 26.
One of Linton’s attorneys, Halim Dhanidina, told the judge that the defense is conducting an investigation into “mental health issues,” and said he didn’t believe there was anything to justify treating Linton’s case equivalent to a capital murder case. He said she could reasonably post $300,000 bail.
Deputy District Attorney Brittany Vannoy had urged Superior Court Judge Natalie Stone to order Linton jailed without bail, saying that the defendant is accused of “traveling at an excessive speed” and proceeding through the intersection “despite being faced with a red light.”
The judge said Linton is potentially facing a very lengthy sentence if she is found guilty, noting that Los Angeles is not the woman’s home base or primary residence.
Linton could face up to 90 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged, according to Gascón.
Linton was arrested Friday for the killings, including victims Natesha Lewis and Lynette Noble, while she was still hospitalized for moderate injuries sustained in the crash, according to the California Highway Patrol.
She was released from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center over the weekend and had been held in lieu of $9 million bail at the Century Regional Detention Center, according to jail records.
According to a CHP statement: “Preliminary investigation indicates Nicole Lorraine Linton was driving a dark-colored Mercedes, traveling southbound on La Brea Avenue at a high rate of speed” when the crash occurred around 1:40 p.m. last Thursday.
“While driving the Mercedes, Linton proceeded through a red light and collided into multiple vehicles traveling eastbound and westbound on Slauson Avenue. As a result of this collision, multiple parties were ejected and two vehicles were fully engulfed in flames. Following the collision, involved parties were transported to (Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center) by ambulance and six individuals were declared deceased on scene,” the CHP continued.
A LinkedIn page for Nicole Lorraine Linton states she is a traveling nurse from Houston, employed by a health care staffing agency, and has been working in the intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center.
Kaiser Permanente issued a statement Friday saying, “Everyone at Kaiser Permanente is deeply saddened by Thursday’s horrific crash. It’s impossible to imagine the pain those involved are experiencing. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. At this time, we are not able to comment on what has been reported as a criminal investigation.”
The pregnant woman who died in the crash that also killed Lynette Noble was identified Friday by the coroner’s office as 23-year-old Asherey Ryan of Los Angeles. She and her male fetus were among the victims killed in the crash that occurred just before 1:40 p.m. Thursday at La Brea and Slauson avenues, near Ladera Park.
According to Ryan’s family, the woman’s 11-month-old son, Alonzo Quintero, was also killed, along with Ryan’s boyfriend, who was the father of her unborn son. Ryan’s boyfriend was driving the car that was struck, according to a video posted online by Ryan’s sister, Shoshanna Kerr.
Kerr identified him as Reynold Lester, 24, of Los Angeles, who worked as a security guard.
In the video, Kerr said Ryan was 8 1/2 months pregnant, and was on her way to a doctor’s appointment when the crash occurred.
The family was planning to name the unborn infant Armani Lester, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
“She left the house at 1:30. She woke me up,” Kerr said. “She woke me up and told me she was going to go to her doctor’s appointment, that she loved me and she’ll be right back.”
She said that 15 minutes later, she saw video of the car crash.
“And for some reason, as soon as I seen that video, it hit me. It felt different. I felt connected,” she said.
Kerr said she cried throughout the night.
“I didn’t sleep one bit,” she said. “I’m all cried out.”
Shoshanna Kerr also told reporters that Ryan’s family forgives the driver who caused the crash.
“I just want to tell her that we forgive her,” she said. “She will have to live with this for the rest of her life. That’s why she was spared. We understand it already.”
A GoFundMe page established on behalf of the family had raised nearly $145,000 as of Monday afternoon.
At an afternoon news conference shortly before the charges were filed, Gascón said that “a young family was destroyed in the blink of an eye” as a result of the multi-vehicle crash, which also resulted in the deaths of two women in a Nissan Altima who have yet to be identified and six other people who were injured in two other vehicles.
“While the wreckage of this fiery crash at this intersection was removed and traffic eventually resumed, there is catastrophic damage to the families and friends of those killed and injured,” the county’s top prosecutor told reporters. “It’s not only a tremendous loss to the families, but our entire community who learned of this incredible tragedy or have now watched the now-viral video of the collision.”
The district attorney said there is “no evidence of any alcohol use at this point.”
Friends and family of the victims have gathered nightly at the crash site to remember and say goodbye to the victims. Lighted candles dotted a memorial near the site of the fiery crash. Saturday’s gathering included some L.A. County firefighters who were among the first to respond to the crash.
Dramatic surveillance video from the scene Thursday showed the Mercedes plowing through the 35 mph zone on La Brea at a speed authorities estimate neared 100 mph — speeding through a red light at Slauson and broad- siding a vehicle.
The crash ignited an inferno as the sedan struck by the Mercedes was pushed into at least one other vehicle, and both wound up against a gas station sign on the corner. A trail of fire was left burning in the intersection as the vehicles struck by the speeding driver were engulfed in flames.
CHP reports indicate eight vehicles, including Linton’s and Lynette Noble’s, were involved in the collision. The heavily damaged Mercedes ended up near a bench down the street.
The CHP reported a sixth victim was later found dead in the burned wreckage of one vehicle, but information about that person has not been released.
Eight others were injured in the collision, including seven occupants of a Chevrolet Traverse. The 33-year-old driver, a 1-year-old boy and three teenagers suffered moderate injuries, while two other teens inside the vehicle had only minor injuries.
The eighth victim — the 19-year-old driver of an Audi A3 — also suffered minor injuries.
[via City News Service]
Liability In Los Angeles Car Accidents
Despite improved safety measures for cars, motor vehicle accidents remain one of the leading causes of serious injury and death in the United States. According to the CDC, “more than 32,000 people are killed and 2 million are injured each year from motor vehicle crashes.” There are a number of factors that could potentially contribute to a car accident including:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Inclement weather
- Dangerous turns
- Poorly designed roadways
All drivers have a legal obligation to exercise due care in order to avoid causing accidents. This is especially true for commercial drivers that work for a city. A number of collisions are due to drivers that make dangerous left turns. Pursuant to California Vehicle Code 21801, the driver of any vehicle intending to turn left must yield the right of way traveling from the opposite direction close enough to pose a hazard.
If a negligent driver worked for a city, that city could potentially be liable in the event of an accident. Generally speaking, employers are vicariously liable for the negligent actions of their employees – insofar as those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. There are a number of steps that should be taken after a car accident.
- Photos of the accident site should be taken.
- Surveillance footage should be sought.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- A thorough independent investigation should be conducted.
The family of any victim that has died in a car accident may have legal recourse through a bodily injury claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills and funeral expenses. It is essential that evidence is properly preserved after a car accident. A car accident attorney can examine all of the facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating Natesha Lewis and Lynette Noble’s Car Accident
We at Accident News Now extend our deepest condolences to the families of Natesha Lewis and Lynette Noble. A thorough investigation must be conducted for the sake of all who have lost so much.
Do you need more information about a Los Angeles car accident? Our team of personal injury attorneys are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that negligent drivers are held to account for their actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into an accident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (844) 966-0965.