Houston nurse faces life imprisonment for fatal California wreck: 'A young family was destroyed in the blink of an eye'

A 37-year-old traveling nurse from Houston has been implicated in a fatal car crash in Los Angeles and could face the possibility of serving the rest of her life in prison, Houston-based media outlets reported.

Citing sister station L.A. FOX affiliate KTTK, Houston’s KRIV reported that the L.A. County District Attorney’s (DA) Office charged Nicole Lorraine Linton with murder and vehicular manslaughter. 

Authorities allege Linton failed to stop at a red light on Thursday at the intersection of South La Brea Avenue and Slauson Avenue, causing a collision that claimed the lives of six people.

According to the report from KTTK and KRIV, the victims are 23-year-old Asheray Ryan, Ryan’s nearly 1-year-old son and her unborn child, the father of the unborn child and two other individuals.

DA George Gascón said in the report that a manslaughter charge can’t be assessed in a case involving an unborn child and that there’s no evidence indicating Linton was driving under the influence.

A witness told KTTK that the accident occurred “right in front of my face.”

In all, Linton faces six counts in connection with the accident and faces a 90-year prison sentence, according to Houston ABC affiliate KTRK.

The station reported that the two victims aside from the family were women.

"A young family was destroyed in the blink of an eye," Gascón said, KTRK reported.

Citing a report from The Associated Press (AP), Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that Linton appeared before a judge on Monday and was seen in a wheelchair.

The suspect didn’t enter a plea, with her arraignment to be continued through October, per the report.

The AP reported that Ryan and her family were headed to a doctor’s appointment at the time of the accident.