A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after police say she drove the wrong way through a Los Angeles intersection and slammed an SUV into a Metro bus, killing two people.
Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, was arrested following Tuesday's devastating Chatsworth collision, which left six others injured and drew news crews to the scene.
Less than two hours later, an NBC4 helicopter covering the bus crash plunged into a nearby parking lot and burst into flames, killing reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw and a man on the ground. Five people ultimately died across the two tragedies.
Police Say SUV Drove Wrong Way Before Deadly Crash
The Los Angeles Police Department said Rios was driving a grey 2004 Ford Expedition southbound in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue shortly before 5pm on 15 September.
Investigators said the SUV ran a red light at Nordhoff Street, narrowly missed another vehicle and then crashed into an eastbound Metro bus.
The force of the impact fully ejected one passenger and partially ejected another, while the SUV became lodged partly inside the bus. Debris also struck a Honda CR-V stopped nearby.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced two bus passengers dead at the scene.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner later identified them as Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31. Six people were taken to hospital, including one passenger who suffered severe injuries. The remaining hospitalised victims sustained injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Police identified Rios, a Simi Valley resident, as the Expedition's driver.
She was booked on suspicion of murder under California Penal Code 187(a) and held on $4 million (about £3 million) bail, according to the LAPD.
The case is expected to be forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for consideration of formal charges.
NBC4 Helicopter Crashes While Covering Scene
The deadly collision was still being covered by emergency crews and local media when a second tragedy unfolded nearby.
NewsChopper4, which was providing aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52, took off shortly after the bus crash and was flying over Chatsworth when it went down shortly before 7pm.
The helicopter crashed into a parking area at a storage business and erupted in flames.
Moreno and Marciniw were killed along with 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground when the aircraft came down. At least one other person on the ground was hospitalised following the crash.
Mejia was visiting Los Angeles from Guatemala and had reportedly been in the city for only two days.
NBC4 later confirmed that Moreno and Marciniw had been covering the bus collision immediately before the crash.
Investigators Examine Final Moments of NewsChopper4
Federal investigators are now examining what caused the helicopter to lose altitude.
Witness Zareh Sevanesian told NBC Los Angeles that the aircraft appeared to be 'swaying' before descending towards the ground.
Video and audio captured during the helicopter's live coverage are expected to form a key part of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation. Investigators said the recording captured tones that appeared likely to be cockpit advisories, along with sounds consistent with changes in engine speed. Authorities have not announced a final cause for the helicopter crash.
The two incidents transformed an already deadly traffic collision into one of Los Angeles' most devastating days for local news crews, leaving five people dead within the space of roughly two hours.
