A series of shocking tragedies has occurred in Chatsworth, San Fernando Valley, resulting in five deaths and six injuries. These incidents took place within just two hours of each other, starting with a major collision between a Metro bus and an SUV, followed by the crash of a news helicopter covering the scene. The first accident occurred around 5 p.m. on the 15th near the intersection of Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue in Chatsworth. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), a 2004 Ford Expedition SUV was driving against traffic in the northbound lane of De Soto Avenue, running a red light, and then struck the side of a Metro Bus No. 166 traveling eastbound. The collision killed two Metro bus passengers, 31-year-old Gage Weida and 46-year-old Daniel Castillo, and injured six others, who were transported to the hospital. The SUV driver, Bailey Lin Rios (36), was taken to the hospital for treatment after the accident and subsequently arrested on murder charges; his bail was set at $4 million.
The tragedy continued in the air while reporting from the scene of the accident. At approximately 6:57 p.m., about two hours after the initial incident, an NBC4 news helicopter covering the scene in real-time from the air crashed into the grounds of a commercial building on nearby Mason Avenue. NBC4 and Telemundo 52 reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot Jorge Maciniu were on board, and both died at the scene. Eddie Gutierrez Mejia, 29, who was on the ground where the helicopter crashed, also lost his life. Additionally, a fire that broke out immediately after the crash damaged four nearby vehicles and two storage containers. NBC4 announced during a live broadcast that they had lost contact with the helicopter, and after it was confirmed that their own news helicopter had crashed, they were forced to personally deliver the news of the deaths of their colleague and pilot.
At the time, the anchor and news crew shed tears during the broadcast as they mourned their deceased colleagues. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom also successively expressed their condolences to the victims and their families, and offered words of comfort to the colleagues of NBC4 and Telemundo 52. While the cause of the helicopter crash has not yet been determined, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the crash site and wreckage to determine the exact circumstances and cause of the accident.