Relatives of the victims killed after a nurse drove 130mph before slamming into pedestrians at a Los Angeles intersection stormed out of the courtroom Tuesday after graphic video of a fetus was shown during opening statements at the suspect’s trial.
Video of the fiery aftermath was displayed in court to show the carnage left behind when Nicole Linton allegedly drove through a red light and plowed into the victims at La Brea and Slauson avenues on Aug. 4, 2022.
Clips from the scene showed bystanders trying to put out the flames, with the unborn child of victim Asherey Ryan flashing on screen.
“The baby was ripped from her womb,” prosecutor Brittany Vannoy said of the pregnant Ryan, who was on her way to a prenatal appointment at the time of the crash, her family said.
Vannoy added that a witness at the scene saw “a little baby flying over her head and lying at her feet,” as images of the unborn child were shown.
Family members cried uncontrollably in the gallery as the images appeared, leading relatives to rush out of court.
Linton faces six counts of murder and five counts of vehicular manslaughter for the crash, which killed Ryan and her unborn child, along with her 11-month old son, Alonzo, and boyfriend, Reynold Lester.
“The defendant killed six people when she drove her Mercedes 130 miles per hour,” Vannoy added.
Linton has pleaded not guilty and remains at a county jail under a “no bail” hold.
A neurologist hired by her legal team said the traveling nurse from Houston, Texas had a history of seizures in her frontal lobe that caused bizarre behaviors.
Prosecutors claim a psychiatric evaluation showed no indication that she suffered a seizure while driving and that Linton “floored” her car for at least five seconds before reaching speeds of 122 to 130mph prior to the crash.
Video footage showed Linton’s Mercedes smashed into multiple vehicles before exploding into a fireball.
