Story perspectives

Bailee Rios Charged After SUV–Bus Crash Kills Two

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 2:45 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Bailee Rios Charged

Bailee Rios was charged with second-degree murder after her SUV struck a Metro bus in Chatsworth.
The crash occurred just after 5 p.m. Tuesday at Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue.
Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46, died in the collision.
Six other passengers were injured; five had non-life-threatening injuries and one suffered severe injuries.
Rios, who had drugs in her system, faces DUI and reckless-driving charges and a $4.03 million bail.

Summary

NTSB Launches Probe

The National Transportation Safety Board launched a probe into the bus collision and helicopter crash.
Aviation safety specialist Jeff Guzzetti said the cockpit alarm likely signaled sudden engine power loss.
Guzzetti added the pilot attempted an emergency maneuver to regain rotor speed using wind assistance.
Since 2000, eight fatal news-helicopter crashes have killed 16 people in the United States.

History

Historical Context

Ongoing safety scrutiny of Los Angeles Metro buses stems from reforms begun in the late 1990s, when the agency introduced CNG and low-floor buses and, after a 2000 South Coast Air Quality Management District rule banning new diesel buses, grew to a fleet of 2,086 vehicles—the nation’s third-largest—helping shape today’s SUV-bus collision response and the NTSB helicopter investigation.

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Bailee Rios Charged

Bailee Rios was charged with second-degree murder after her SUV struck a Metro bus in Chatsworth.
The crash occurred just after 5 p.m. Tuesday at Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue.
Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46, died in the collision.
Six other passengers were injured; five had non-life-threatening injuries and one suffered severe injuries.
Rios, who had drugs in her system, faces DUI and reckless-driving charges and a $4.03 million bail.

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