CHATSWORTH, CA. (THECOUNT) — Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, of Simi Valley, has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with a fatal collision involving an SUV and an LA Metro bus that killed two people and injured six others Tuesday in Los Angeles County’s San Fernando Valley. In a related tragedy, a news helicopter covering the crash went down nearby later that evening, killing three people, including NBC Los Angeles reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw.
The deadly crash occurred shortly after 5 p.m. at the intersection of Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue in Chatsworth, a community in the northwestern San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles.
Advertisement
According to LA Metro officials, a Line 166 bus was traveling eastbound on Nordhoff Street when it was struck by a vehicle traveling southbound on De Soto Avenue.
“A Metro Line 166 bus traveling eastbound on Nordhoff Street was struck by a vehicle traveling southbound on De Soto Avenue,” officials said.
Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to the scene following the collision. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, while six others were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
🚨 #UPDATE: BAILEE RIOS, 36, HAS BEEN ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF MURDER following the deadly Metro bus crash in Chatsworth.
Rios, a Simi Valley resident, was driving the SUV that slammed into an LA Metro Line 166 bus Tuesday afternoon at Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue.
The… pic.twitter.com/sgYy7cotKj
— zach bitango (@ZachBitango) September 16, 2026
Rios, who was identified as the driver of the SUV, survived the crash. She was pulled from the wreckage and taken to a hospital for treatment before being released.
A witness told FOX 11 that Rios appeared to be traveling at a high rate of speed before the collision.
“She was going lightning fast,” the witness said.
Following her release from the hospital, Rios was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder, according to records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Her bail was set at approximately $2.03 million.
Authorities have not released additional details explaining the specific circumstances supporting the murder allegation. The investigation remains active, and the charge is an accusation. Rios is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46, were identified as the two people killed in the Metro bus crash by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The identities of the six injured people, along with their current conditions, were not immediately available.
The fatal bus collision was followed by another deadly incident in Chatsworth later Tuesday evening. Approximately two hours after the Metro crash, a news helicopter covering the scene crashed nearby, killing three people.
The helicopter victims were identified as aerial reporter Eliana Moreno, who worked for NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52, veteran pilot George Marciniw and a pedestrian. The pedestrian’s identity has not been publicly released.
Moreno and Marciniw had been providing aerial news coverage of the deadly bus crash when the helicopter went down. The aircraft was believed to have been operated by KNBC, the Los Angeles NBC affiliate.
The two separate crashes brought the reported death toll from the Chatsworth tragedy to five people.
The Metro crash investigation is being handled by Los Angeles authorities. Investigators have not announced whether additional charges are expected or provided a timeline for the next stage of the case.
Chatsworth is located in Los Angeles County’s San Fernando Valley, approximately 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue are major surface streets serving the Chatsworth area.
DEVELOPING::