LA helicopter crash victims: Reporter Eliana Moreno, a soon-to-retire pilot and a young tourist
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- A news helicopter operated by Angel City Air crashed Tuesday in a commercial area of Los Angeles while covering a fatal bus collision, killing aerial photojournalist Eliana Moreno, veteran pilot George Marciniw, and pedestrian Edy Gutierrez Mejia.
- Moreno, an award-winning reporter engaged to be married, was known for her passionate work and bilingual reporting for NBC4 and Telemundo 52, while Marciniw, a respected pilot with over 14,000 flight hours, was nearing retirement.
- Mejia, a 29-year-old tourist from Guatemala who had just arrived in Los Angeles, was fatally struck by the helicopter as it crashed into a business parking lot; two others were hospitalized with injuries.
- The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, with a preliminary report expected in 30 days and a final report potentially taking up to 18 months.
- The tragedy has deeply affected the local community, news teams, and officials, with tributes highlighting the victims' dedication to their work and the shock of the sudden loss.
