Relatives of the victims killed in a fiery crash on Aug. 4, 2022, stormed out of the Los Angeles courtroom Tuesday during opening statements in the trial of Nicole Linton. Graphic video and images of the aftermath, including a fetus, were shown.
Prosecutor Brittany Vannoy presented clips from the scene that depicted bystanders attempting to extinguish flames. The unborn child of victim Asherey Ryan was shown on screen. Ryan was on her way to a prenatal appointment when Linton allegedly drove her Mercedes at speeds between 122 and 130 mph through a red light at the intersection of La Brea and Slauson avenues, colliding with multiple vehicles.
"The baby was ripped from her womb," Vannoy told the court, recounting a witness's statement that the unborn child was seen "flying over her head and lying at her feet."
Family members reacted with uncontrollable crying as the images were displayed, prompting several relatives to leave the courtroom. Linton is charged with six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter. Her actions are alleged to have killed Ryan, her unborn child, her 11-month-old son Alonzo, and boyfriend Reynold Lester, along with two other individuals.
Linton has pleaded not guilty to all charges. She remains in county jail under a "no bail" hold. A neurologist for Linton's defense team stated that she has a history of frontal lobe seizures that can cause unusual behavior. However, prosecutors contend that a psychiatric evaluation showed no evidence of a seizure at the time of the crash and that Linton accelerated intentionally for at least five seconds before reaching high speeds.
Video footage presented in court showed Linton's Mercedes crashing into other vehicles before erupting into a fireball. Investigators were seen at the intersection where the crash occurred. The scene was marked by extensive debris from the collision.