Bailee Rios, the woman accused of causing a fatal Metro bus crash in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, is due to enter a plea at Los Angeles County Superior Court in San Fernando on Thursday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records list the 36-year-old Simi Valley resident for arraignment after several previous hearings were delayed because of her medical condition.
Rios faces two counts of second-degree murder, along with charges of driving under the influence of drugs causing injury and reckless driving on a highway. Prosecutors have also alleged that she caused great bodily injury.
The charges relate to a crash on September 15 in which Rios allegedly drove a Ford Expedition at high speed on the wrong side of De Soto Avenue, ran a red light and struck a Metro bus at the intersection with Nordhoff Street.
Two passengers, Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, were killed. At least five other people were injured, including Rios, who was taken to hospital after firefighters freed her from the wreckage.
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has alleged that Rios was under the influence of drugs at the time of the collision and that narcotics were found in her vehicle. The allegations have not been tested in court, and Rios is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
She remains in custody on bail of about $4.1 million. If convicted on the charges as filed, she could face life in prison with the possibility of parole.
