Full Breakdown
Nicole Linton’s Murder Trial Over the 2022 Windsor Hills Crash
9/9/2026, 1:12:38 PM
Core Event
The trial opened this week for Nicole Lorraine Linton, a traveling nurse accused of driving a Mercedes-Benz through a red light at the intersection of Slauson and La Brea avenues on August 4, 2022. Prosecutors allege she accelerated to roughly 130 mph, striking a Jaguar and triggering a multi-vehicle fireball that killed six people and an unborn child. Linton faces six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. She has entered a not-guilty plea.
Background & Context
The collision occurred near a Windsor Hills gas station in South Los Angeles. Victims included 23-year-old Asherey Ryan, who was eight and a half months pregnant, her 11-month-old son Alonzo Quintero, Ryan’s boyfriend Reynold Lester, and two other occupants, Nathesia Lewis and Lynette Noble. The crash also injured nine additional occupants, including Linton, who escaped with only superficial injuries. Linton’s appearance in Los Angeles Superior Court was recorded on August 8, 2022 following the incident.
Data & Statistics
- Fatalities: six adults plus one unborn child.
- Injured: nine people, including Linton.
- Speed alleged by prosecutors: approximately 130 mph in a 35-mph zone.
- Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz sedan; impact also involved a Jaguar and an SUV.
Official Statements & Responses
Vannoy also highlighted a 2020 blog post attributed to Linton that expressed frustration with her nursing career and contained inflammatory remarks about medical professionals.
Family spokesperson Najee Ali, speaking on behalf of the victims’ families, described the courtroom images as unforgettable and urged a conviction to bring “justice and closure” to the Windsor Hills community.
Defense Arguments
Linton’s attorney, Jovan Blacknell, contends that his client suffered a seizure moments before the collision, resulting in loss of control. Blacknell noted Linton’s long-standing bipolar disorder, prior hospitalizations, and a history of medication non-adherence. He rejected an insanity defense, instead arguing that the seizure claim explains the driver’s behavior without establishing criminal intent. The defense also referenced a phone call Linton placed to her sister shortly before the crash, during which she made implausible statements about marrying actor Will Smith and picking up her niece—details presented to illustrate her mental state.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Those are images that I, the family, and everyone who witnessed will never forget,” — family spokesperson
- “She got in her car and channeled that fury, that frustration, into her driving,” — Dist. Atty. Brittany Vannoy
- “She went to go pick him up and realized his neck was broken and screamed, ‘The baby, the baby!’ She tries to perform CPR on Baby Alanzo but it was too late,” — Dist. Atty. Brittany Vannoy
- “The defendant killed six people when she drove her Mercedes 130 miles per hour,” — Dist. Atty. Brittany Vannoy
- “You’ll hear from medical examiner, the bodies were incinerated,” — Dist. Atty. Brittany Vannoy
- “Pack a lunch for my niece I’m going to take her to school. I’m going to get married to Will Smith, meet me at the alter,” — Nicole Linton
What’s Next
The prosecution projects that the trial will last at least six weeks before jurors begin deliberations. If convicted on all counts, Linton faces a potential life sentence. No further court dates have been publicly scheduled beyond the current proceedings.
