An SUV slammed into a city bus, then the news helicopters took flight. How one tragedy led to another

Five deaths followed two catastrophic incidents in Chatsworth

Activelifezero.com – A deadly crash involving an SUV and an LA Metro bus in Chatsworth set off a second disaster Tuesday night when a television news helicopter covering the scene went down nearby. Five people died across the two incidents, devastating families, first responders and the Los Angeles broadcast community.

The first collision happened at roughly 5 p.m. in the suburban Los Angeles neighborhood. Authorities said a Ford Expedition driven by Bailee Lynn Rios entered opposing traffic as it approached stopped vehicles at a red light, then struck an eastbound Metro bus at high speed. The SUV became lodged deeply inside the bus.

Two passengers on the bus, Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46, died at the crash site. Other people were trapped amid shattered glass and twisted metal, while one person was thrown into the intersection. The bus driver, despite being hurt, contacted the operating division to summon help.

A difficult rescue at the bus crash

Firefighters arrived to find an unusually severe wreckage scene. Rescue crews used hydraulic equipment, including Jaws of Life tools and reciprocating saws, to free Rios and a trapped bus passenger. Both were then transported to a hospital.

Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Brandon Silverman said responders had been working intensely to remove people from the damaged vehicles when the situation changed again. A person in the crowd suddenly shouted that a helicopter had crashed, drawing attention away from the bus wreck.

Silverman turned and saw black smoke rising from a parking lot about a block east of the original collision. Fire and police personnel, as well as journalists already at the crash site, immediately shifted toward the new emergency.

“To have two incidents of that significance in that short amount of time within a few blocks of each other is definitely a unique situation for any department,” Silverman said.

News helicopter crashes during aerial coverage

About two hours after the bus collision, a news helicopter serving KNBC-TV NBC4 and KVEA-TV crashed while providing aerial coverage of the earlier tragedy. The aircraft erupted in flames after impact.

Aerial photojournalist-reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw were killed in the crash. Edy Gutierrez Mejia, a young tourist on the ground who had recently arrived in Los Angeles from Guatemala, also died.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are examining the helicopter crash. Investigators have identified video showing the aircraft descending as an important piece of evidence in determining why it fell.

The second emergency compounded the strain on responders already confronting a mass-casualty collision. What began as a difficult roadside rescue became a rapidly expanding scene involving fire, aviation investigators, police officers, medical crews and grieving families.

Criminal case filed in bus collision

Rios has been charged with second-degree murder, driving under the influence and reckless driving. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the charges could expose her to a possible life sentence.

Officials alleged that Rios was impaired by drugs, had narcotics inside the SUV and was traveling far above the posted speed limit before impact. Her attorney has been contacted for comment.

“She entered into opposing traffic because she was approaching a red light where cars were stopped, and she didn’t stop,” Hochman said. “At full force, she plunged into that metro bus.”

The victims were ordinary people caught in an extraordinary chain of events: a father of four, a Los Angeles resident nearing a birthday, a visitor from Guatemala, an engaged reporter and a veteran pilot approaching retirement. Their deaths have left a lasting mark on the community.

A city mourns those who did not make it home

City and state leaders joined relatives, colleagues and residents at a vigil Thursday. The gathering reflected the grief felt not only by the families of those killed, but also by transit workers, emergency personnel and journalists who witnessed the aftermath.

“My heart is with the families whose lives changed forever Tuesday night. Simply going to work, coming from work to come back to your family, you expect to see them,” Mayor Karen Bass said. “And they never arrive.”

The tragedy underscored how quickly a routine evening commute can turn into a life-altering event. Passengers were traveling home from work, going to work or planning to see relatives and friends when the bus was hit. Soon afterward, journalists sent to document that devastation became victims of a separate fatal crash.

As the criminal case and aviation investigation proceed, the focus remains on the five lives lost and the people left to carry their memories forward. Chatsworth now faces the aftermath of two deadly events that unfolded only blocks apart, within a matter of hours.