Date: September 19, 2026
Source: CNN
Topic: Los Angeles Bus Crash, News Helicopter Crash, Chatsworth
A deadly chain of events unfolded in Los Angeles this week when a serious bus collision in Chatsworth was followed hours later by the crash of a news helicopter that was covering the incident. Together, the two crashes claimed the lives of five people and left others injured.
The first tragedy occurred Tuesday evening when an SUV allegedly traveling the wrong way struck a Metro bus in Chatsworth. Two bus passengers, Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, were killed. Several other people were injured in the collision.
Authorities arrested Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, in connection with the bus crash. Police said she was suspected of driving the SUV before it collided with the bus. She was being held on a murder charge, with bail set at $4 million, while prosecutors reviewed the case.
As emergency crews continued working at the bus crash scene, a news helicopter covering the collision crashed into a nearby commercial area. The helicopter was operated by Angel City Air for NBC4 and Telemundo 52.
Two people aboard the helicopter were killed: Eliana Moreno, an aerial photojournalist and reporter, and George Marciniw, a veteran pilot. A third person on the ground, 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, a tourist from Guatemala, also died when the helicopter crashed into a parking area.
Moreno was engaged to be married and had worked in aerial journalism for years. Marciniw, who had accumulated extensive helicopter flight experience, was reportedly planning to retire soon. Their deaths deeply affected colleagues at NBC4 and Telemundo 52.
The cause of the helicopter crash remains under investigation by federal authorities. Investigators are examining the aircraft, flight circumstances and available video as they work to determine what happened.
The back-to-back tragedies left emergency responders facing two major disasters within hours of each other—and families in Los Angeles and beyond mourning five lives lost in circumstances that began with a deadly traffic collision and ended with another fatal crash.
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#CNN #LosAngeles #Chatsworth #HelicopterCrash #BusCrash #ElianaMoreno #GeorgeMarciniw #EdyGutierrezMejia #California #BreakingNews #USNews
Date: September 19, 2026
Source: CNN
Topic: Los Angeles Bus Crash, News Helicopter Crash, Chatsworth
