LOS ANGELES –
A pregnant woman died along with her young son and three others in a fiery collision caused by a speeding car while on her way to an appointment with her antenatal doctor, sister her said Friday.
Thursday’s crash killed Asherey Ryan, her 11-month-old son Alonzo Quintero and her boyfriend, Reynolds Lester, Sha’seana Kerr said in a GoFundMe post.
“Everybody is heartbroken,” Kerr told KABC-TV. “She literally walked out the door, because we all live together, and she said, ` `Okay, I love you guys. I’m going to my doctor’s appointment to check on the baby. ‘ We asked, “ Oh, why don’t you leave our grandson here? ‘ She said, “ No, I want to take my son out. ”So knowing that really, really breaks our hearts. “
Lester’s family told KABC-TV that the 24-year-old security guard is the father of the unborn child, who is listed as “boy Ryan” in online investigative filings.
Two women and another man were also killed but their names were not made public on Friday.
Just after 1:30 p.m. Thursday, a Mercedes-Benz sedan ran a red light at high speed and caused an accident involving six vehicles near a gas station in Windsor Hills, about 10 miles from downtown LA. miles (16 km) to the southwest. , according to the California Highway Patrol.
The California Highway Patrol said Nicole Lorraine Linton, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, was taken into custody on suspicion of manslaughter by negligence.
Prosecutors said they could receive the case as early as next Monday and then decide whether to file criminal charges.
It was not immediately clear if Linton, 37, had an attorney who could comment on her behalf.
The Mercedes-Benz sedan never seemed to brake as it flew through the intersection, and Pepi said detectives were looking into whether Linton was ill or was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“It was definitely one of the most horrifying accidents we’ve ever seen,” CHP Officer Franco Pepi told The Associated Press on Friday.
Several people were ejected from the vehicle and two vehicles caught fire. Television reports showed burnt and charred cars, as well as a child’s car seat amid debris covered the street.
Video shows the Mercedes swerving through an intersection, hitting at least two cars that explode in flames and are thrown onto the sidewalk, crashing into a corner sign of a gas station. A trail of fire leads to a car. One vehicle was torn in half.
Pepi said on Thursday the car was traveling at least 50 mph (80 km/h) while driving through a busy intersection. Eight people were taken to hospital, including Linton.
Other victims with minor injuries included a 33-year-old woman and six children aged 1 to 15, Pepi said.
A memorial rises outside Friday’s intersection, as mourners leave flowers and candles in memory of the dead.
Henry Sanchez, who works at nearby Sinclair Gas, was at the register in the house when he heard “the loudest noise I’ve ever heard”.
“The sound of it, it’s gut-wrenching,” he told the AP on Friday. “It’s like two trains hitting each other, metal on metal.”
He saw people running to cars for help but they were held back by the flames until firefighters arrived.
“I remember everyone was trying to put out fires and help people as much as they could, but nobody could do anything about it,” he said.
Veronica Esquival told KTLA-TV that she covered her head for protection as the debris flew.
“Suddenly a baby flew from the middle of the intersection to the middle of the gas station and landed right on the floor in front of me, literally,” Esquival said. “One of the workers came and saw me with the baby and took the baby out of my arms. “Someone tried to resuscitate the baby, but the baby was gone.”
Debra Jackson, told KCBS-TV that she was getting out of her car to get gas when she heard a loud bang.
Jackson said: “The fire engulfed everyone. “The fire engulfed my whole car and they told me to jump out of the car…because I was trying to get out of the car, to get to the gas pump. And I jumped out of my car and just left my car sitting right there. “
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Associated Press photojournalist Damian Dovarganes in Los Angeles and New York-based News Researcher Jennifer Farrar contributed to this report.
