Nurse Convicted of Murder in 130-mph 'Slauson Six' Crash

Nicole Linton was found guilty on six counts of second-degree murder after jurors rejected her seizure defense in about three hours of deliberation.

The traveling nurse was accused of running a red light in her Mercedes-Benz at roughly 130 mph in a 35-mph zone, triggering a fiery multi-vehicle crash. The jury deliberated for only about three hours, and Linton faces life in prison at a sentencing hearing set for December 1.

The surprising development is that jurors outright rejected the defense's medical-emergency argument. Linton's attorney, Jovan Blacknell, acknowledged the loss of life was 'horrendous' but argued a neurologist's testimony showed she 'likely suffered a seizure' and that 'sometimes a medical emergency occurs while someone's driving. That's not murder.' Prosecutors countered that Linton had no seizure history in her medical records, and the Los Angeles Times reports that a test to provoke a seizure after the crash showed no abnormal brain activity, with prosecutors alleging she jerked and twitched in an attempt to fake one. The defense's own neurologist, Dr. David Millett, conceded under cross-examination he had been troubled by how she navigated the road.

The dead — known in the community as the 'Slauson Six' — included members of a single family. Asherey Ryan, 23, who was more than eight months pregnant, was riding in a Jaguar with her boyfriend Reynold Lester, 23, and their 11-month-old son Alonzo Quintero, on the way to a prenatal appointment, NBC Los Angeles reports. The unborn child the couple had planned to name Armani was also killed, and prosecutors said the force of the crash ripped the fetus from Ryan's womb.

Prosecutors built the case on surveillance video and data. According to NBC Los Angeles, the electronic data recorder in Linton's Mercedes showed she was fully pressing the accelerator seconds before impact, reaching about 130 mph, while the traffic light had been red for 15 seconds. A California Highway Patrol investigator documented 25 areas of impact, and a retired CHP employee found no pre-existing mechanical problems with the vehicle. Deputy District Attorney Antonella Nistorescu told jurors the crash was 'entirely preventable' and that Linton 'chose to do this,' arguing she steered 'with precision' as her speed increased downhill toward the intersection.

The murder charges rested on an 'implied malice' theory, meaning prosecutors did not have to prove Linton intended to kill, only that she willingly committed a reckless act she knew was dangerous to human life. Per the Los Angeles Times, they argued she left her Kaiser Permanente shift angry at co-workers, had stopped taking prescribed medication for bipolar disorder, and had a documented history of erratic violence — including a 2016 incident in which she allegedly hit a woman and sped off at roughly 100 mph through red lights. Prosecutors said she had not taken her medication or slept for days before the crash.

Linton will be sentenced December 1 and could receive life in prison; she remained jailed without bail after her arrest by the California Highway Patrol on the day of the crash. Outside the courthouse, relatives chanted 'justice for the Slauson six.' Ryan's sister Shaseana Kerr said, 'This was not an accident,' while Jasmond Nelson, Lewis's sister, said that even with justice, 'grief doesn't change; it doesn't stop.' A memorial bench honoring the victims was unveiled at the intersection on the one-year anniversary, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors called for studies and immediate steps to slow traffic there.