Woman who caused high-speed LA crash identified as a Houston nurse

The woman who is being accused of causing the fiery car crash Thursday in the Los Angeles area that killed five has been identified as a Houston, Tex. nurse, according to a KHOU11 report.

Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station shows a Mercedes-Benz speeding towards the busy intersection of Slauson and La Brea Avenues before running a red light, driving right through the traffic, and hitting several cars shortly after 1:30 pm.

The crash, which occurred in the Windsor Hills area about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles, involved up to six cars, killing at least five people and injuring several others. The fatalities included a pregnant woman, Asherey Ryan, her boyfriend, Reynold Lester, and their  11-month-old son Alonzo Quintero. The family was heading to a prenatal appointment when their lives were cut short.

"I'm so hurt, I don't know what to do," said Ryan's mother to NBCLA. "I'm dead on the inside."

Two other women and a man were also killed, but their names have yet to be made public.

The driver of the out-of-control sedan has been identified as 37-year-old Nicole Lorraine Linton, a nurse from the Houston area who was working in Los Angeles at the time of the crash.

Linton is alive and in the hospital recovering from moderate injuries, according to California Highway Patrol. Once she's released, she'll be booked into jail for vehicular manslaughter and gross negligence, reported NBC.

Linton's car never appeared to brake or slow down as it sped through the intersection, causing investigators to look into whether Linton was having a medical episode, or was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"It was definitely one of the most horrific crashes that we’ve seen," CHP Officer Franco Pepi told The Associated Press on Friday.

The other victims of the crash sustained minor injuries, including a 33-year-old woman and six children ranging in age from 1 to 15 years old, Pepi said.