The SUV driver who slammed into a Los Angeles Metro bus will be arrested on suspicion of murder after the crash killed two people, police said.
The collision happened Tuesday as the bus traveled eastbound on Nordhoff Street in the San Fernando Valley. An SUV struck it with enough force to embed itself inside the bus, authorities said. The crash killed two people and injured six others, including the female driver of the SUV.
The wreck drew an NBC helicopter to the scene to cover the aftermath. That aircraft fell from the sky near the crash site, killing NBC reporter Eliana Moreno, technician George Marciniw, and a pedestrian on the ground.
Police said the SUV driver is suspected of reckless driving and running a red light. Investigators are also looking at possible DUI as a factor in the collision.
The six injured victims included the SUV driver herself, according to police. Authorities have not released the identities of the two people killed on the bus.
The triple-fatality helicopter crash compounded an already devastating scene. The aircraft went down while documenting the bus wreckage, turning a local traffic incident into a sprawling emergency with deaths across two separate but linked tragedies.
The original bus crash occurred when the SUV driver failed to stop at a red light and plowed into the side of the moving Metro vehicle. The force of the impact lodged the smaller vehicle inside the bus, leaving a mangled scene that attracted news coverage and, ultimately, the helicopter that also crashed.
Police have not announced a timeline for the arrest but confirmed the murder suspicion stems from the fatal combination of alleged reckless driving, red-light violation, and potential impairment. The investigation remains active as authorities process evidence from both crash sites.