Driver in deadly LA Metro crash that preceded NBC helicopter tragedy misses court as she remains hospitalized

The suspect in the deadly Los Angeles Metro bus crash — which set off a chain reaction leading to the deaths of three people in the NBC helicopter accident — was forced to skip court Thursday morning as she remained in the hospital.

36-year-old Simi Valley resident Bailee Lynn Rios missed her court date in LA County Superior Court Thursday as she faces murder charges from the crash.

Rios allegedly crashed her SUV into a Los Angeles Metro bus on Tuesday at high speed. The crash embedded her vehicle into the bus and killed two passengers. Rios and several other passengers were also seriously injured.

Officials set her bail at $4.03 million as she was booked on two charges of suspicion of murder.

The two victims in the crash have been identified as Gage Weida, 31, and Daniel Castillo, 46. Castillo’s family recently pictured the father as they organized a GoFundMe to cover his funeral expenses and other charges. The fundraiser has raised nearly $20,000 of its $30,000 goal as of Thursday morning.

“Our dad brought so much love, laughter, joy, and light into our world. We are incredibly blessed to have loved him and to have been loved by him,” they wrote. “While we wish we had more time with him, we will carry his love and the light he brought into our lives with us forever.”

Shortly after the crash, a news helicopter that arrived to cover the scene fell out of the sky and killed reporter Eliana Moreno, pilot George Marciniw and pedestrian Edy Gutierrez Mejia.

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