Driver Arrested After Bus Collision Preceding Fatal News Helicopter Crash in Los Angeles

The post Driver Arrested After Bus Collision Preceding Fatal News Helicopter Crash in Los Angeles first appeared on Crafting Your Home.

A driver has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a deadly collision involving a Metro bus in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, on September 15, 2026. About two hours later, a news helicopter covering the crash went down nearby, killing two people aboard and a person on the ground.

The two incidents occurred in the same area of Chatsworth, but authorities have not said that the earlier road collision caused the helicopter crash. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are still investigating what caused the helicopter crash.

The events left five people dead and several others injured, turning what began as a serious traffic collision into a second fatal incident involving a news aircraft covering the story.

What Happened in Chatsworth?

The first crash occurred shortly after 5 p.m. at the intersection of De Soto Avenue and Nordhoff Street in Chatsworth, a community in the San Fernando Valley. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a gray 2004 Ford Expedition was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue. Police said the SUV ran a red light at Nordhoff Street, nearly struck another vehicle, and then collided with an eastbound Metro bus.

The impact was severe. LAPD said one bus passenger was fully ejected and another was partially ejected. Debris also struck a 2024 Honda CR-V that was stopped at the intersection. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced two adult bus passengers dead at the scene.

The victims were later identified as Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. Six other people were injured in the collision, according to reporting from the Associated Press.

Driver Arrested After Metro Bus Collision

Police identified the SUV driver as Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, of Simi Valley. She was arrested following the collision and booked on suspicion of murder, with bail set at $4 million, according to police and Associated Press reporting. The murder allegation is based on the circumstances described by investigators, including the alleged wrong-way driving and red-light violation. However, an arrest is not a conviction, and the criminal case must still proceed through the Los Angeles County court system.

The Associated Press reported that the case was being forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which would determine whether to formally file the charges or pursue different charges. The report did not immediately include information about an attorney who could speak for Rios. The facts police established about the collision and the eventual criminal allegations are separate from any court finding of guilt.

News Helicopter Crashes While Covering the Collision

The second tragedy happened later Tuesday evening, when an NBC4/Telemundo 52 news helicopter crashed in Chatsworth while crews were covering the earlier bus collision. The helicopter, known as NewsChopper4, was owned and operated by Angel City Air. NBC Los Angeles reported that the aircraft crashed shortly before 7 p.m. in the 9100 block of North Mason Avenue, several blocks from the original collision.

The aircraft went down between two commercial buildings near a storage facility. The crash started a fire that damaged four vehicles and two storage containers, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department and NBC Los Angeles. More than 70 firefighters responded, Reuters reported.

Three people died in the helicopter crash. The two people aboard were identified as aerial reporter and photojournalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw. A third victim, 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, was killed on the ground. Two others were taken to a hospital, but their conditions were not immediately available.

Who Were the Helicopter Crash Victims?

Moreno was a familiar presence in Southern California television news, particularly through aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52. NBC Los Angeles reported that she graduated from Chapman University in 2010 with degrees in broadcast journalism and political science and joined the Angel City Air helicopter team that same year. She had also worked with several Southern California media organizations.

Marciniw was a Southern California native and graduated from Burbank High School in 1974. Moreno and Marciniw began flying together in 2023, according to NBC Los Angeles. Their deaths were confirmed by NBC4 and Telemundo 52, which issued a joint statement expressing condolences to the victims’ families, friends and colleagues.

The loss was particularly significant for Los Angeles television news because helicopter reporting has long been part of the region’s coverage of traffic, police activity, wildfires and other breaking events. The current crash also follows a history of fatal news helicopter accidents involving Los Angeles television stations, including the 1977 death of KNBC “Telecopter” reporter Francis Gary Powers and cameraman George Spears.

What Happens Next in the Investigations?

The criminal investigation into the bus collision and the aviation investigation are proceeding separately. For the road crash, prosecutors will review the evidence and determine what criminal charges, if any, to file against Rios. The LAPD investigation will also examine the circumstances surrounding the collision and the deaths of the two bus passengers.

For the helicopter crash, the NTSB is examining the aircraft and its operating history. Investigators are expected to consider the wreckage, maintenance records, weather, pilot training, witness accounts, and available video and audio.

The NTSB said a preliminary report is normally expected within about 30 days, while a final report can take considerably longer. A preliminary report should not be confused with a final determination of probable cause. As of September 17, investigators have not announced a final explanation for the helicopter crash.

What Los Angeles Officials Have Said

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the two incidents resulted in the deaths of five Angelenos and praised emergency personnel who responded to both scenes. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the NBC4 community.

The concentration of emergency crews in Chatsworth also created an unusual situation for first responders. Firefighters and police were already working at the Metro bus crash when the helicopter went down nearby. Reuters reported that more than 70 firefighters responded to the helicopter crash and extinguished the resulting fire.

For residents, the sequence meant that two major emergency scenes developed within hours in the same community.