Trial of Nurse Accused in Fatal Crash

The sister of a nurse, who faces accusations of killing six individuals after colliding with traffic at 130 mph, emotionally recounted a peculiar series of video calls made just prior to the tragic incident.

Kimberly Linton, the oldest sibling of Nicole Linton, testified that her sister engaged in five video calls while driving on the day of the crash, one of which lasted a surprising six minutes.

She noted that Nicole was speaking “gibberish” and “complete nonsense” just moments before the accident occurred.

On August 4, 2022, 23-year-old Asherey Ryan, who was more than eight months pregnant, lost her life along with her unborn son, Armani, as well as her eleven-month-old child Alonzo Quintero and boyfriend Reynold Lester. They were struck when Nicole’s Mercedes sped through the intersection of La Brea and Slauson avenues.

Nathesia Lewis, 42, and Lynette Noble, 38, who were inside another vehicle, also perished when Nicole’s car smashed into traffic, igniting a fireball near a gas station.

Kimberly described her sister’s demeanor during the video calls as “confused.” For instance, Nicole brought up Kimberly’s daughter, who resides in Philadelphia, saying something about packing a lunch for her and taking her to school, according to defense attorney Jovan Blacknell.

In another strange remark, Nicole joked about marrying Will Smith, asking her sister to “meet me at the altar.”

After this odd conversation, Kimberly immediately contacted a third sister, Camille, right around the time Nicole crashed into traffic, killing six people.

Kimberly expressed frustration toward Camille, suggesting that a previous text conversation, which was emotional, had “triggered” Nicole. “You know she’s not well,” Kimberly said during her testimony.

In the ensuing call, Camille yelled at Kimberly, visibly distressed, asserting, “I don’t know she’s not well I’ll never text her again.”

Leading up to the crash, Kimberly noted that Nicole was behaving unusually, including obsessively cleaning and unexpectedly appearing naked during a video call, much to her sister’s surprise.

“The behavior was unusual,” was her remark.

At the start of the trial, relatives of the victims expressed outrage and left the courtroom when distressing footage related to Ryan’s unborn child was presented during opening statements. Prosecutor Brittany Vannoy described the horrifying aftermath: “The baby was ripped from her womb,” she stated regarding Ryan, who was en route to a prenatal appointment at the time of the accident.

Prosecutors also displayed harrowing images of the victims’ charred remains, prompting further family members to exit the courtroom.

“You’ll hear from the medical examiner, the bodies were incinerated,” Vannoy informed the jury.

In a particularly emotional moment, witness Tonya Boyd, who tried to revive baby Alonzo with CPR, recalled the scene, prompting Nicole, who was clearly distraught, to gasp audibly and weep. The judge had to momentarily remove the jury to restore order.

Boyd continued her testimony, sharing that there was “blood coming from the baby’s neck” and that he felt “limp, mushy and not alive.” A grim image was displayed, showing the eleven-month-old on a store counter, surrounded by everyday items, which overwhelmed family members in attendance.

Nicole Linton is currently on trial for six counts of murder and could face life in prison if found guilty. Notably, five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence were dismissed by prosecutors before trial.

The defense maintains that Nicole suffered a seizure, which led to her losing control of the vehicle prior to the crash.

On Monday, Linton waived her opportunity to testify as her defense concluded its case. The jury is expected to receive the case either later this week or the next.