Full Breakdown
Tragic Chain of Crashes in Chatsworth: SUV-Bus Collision Followed by News Helicopter Crash
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On September 15, 2026 a 36-year-old driver, Bailee Lynn Rios, allegedly under the influence, entered the wrong lane, ran a red light at Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue, and struck a Los Angeles Metro bus. The impact killed passengers Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, and injured six others, two critically.
A news helicopter operated by Angel City Air for NBC Los Angeles and Telemundo 52 hovered over the scene and crashed near 9151 N. Mason Avenue about two hours later, killing pilot George Marciniw, aerial reporter Eliana Moreno, and pedestrian Edy Gutierrez Mejia, 29.
Timeline
- ?5 p.m., Sep 15 – Rios’s SUV collides with the bus; two fatalities, six injuries.
- ?7 p.m., Sep 15 – Helicopter crashes; three fatalities.
- Sep 16 – Authorities confirm helicopter-victim identities and begin investigations.
- Sep 17 – District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman files two counts of second-degree murder, a DUI, and a reckless-driving charge against Rios.
- Sep 18 (scheduled) – Rios to be arraigned; bail set at $4.1 million.
Data & Statistics
- Total deaths: 5 (2 bus, 3 helicopter).
- Injured: 8 (six from the bus crash, two from the helicopter crash).
- At least eight fatal news-helicopter crashes have occurred in the United States since 2000, resulting in 16 deaths.
Official Statements & Responses
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman, Metro chief executive Stephanie Wiggins, Mayor Karen Bass, and Governor Gavin Newsom issued condolences. The NTSB and FAA opened parallel investigations into the two incidents.
On-the-Ground Reports
Johaunna Castillo, daughter of Daniel Castillo, recalled her father’s habit of “people-watching” on the bus. Jeffrey Weida, father of Gage Weida, noted the family had been preparing for his son’s 32nd birthday.
Rios’s mother, Cindy Rios, said she was “shocked and saddened” and had not spoken to her daughter since the arrest.
LAFD Captain Branden Silverman described the helicopter wreckage as “pretty well destroyed” and noted difficulty identifying victims.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The precise cause of the helicopter crash remains undetermined. Early accounts mentioned a possible loss of engine power or a low-rotor-RPM warning. Investigators have not confirmed whether all three fatalities were aboard the helicopter or if one was on the ground.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We’re trying to determine how many patients were inside the helicopter,” — Capt. Branden Silverman
- “Losing five Angelenos is very painful,” — Mayor Karen Bass
- “It just has all the earmarks of a potential loss of engine power and a dangerous decrease in the main rotor speed,” — Jeff Guzzetti, aviation safety expert