Eliana Moreno, the 38-year-old aerial reporter who was killed in last week’s deadly NBC4 LA helicopter crash, died as a result of blunt force trauma, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Moreno died from injuries sustained when the NewsChopper4 helicopter crashed in Chatsworth on Sept. 15 while she and pilot George Marciniw were covering a deadly Metro bus collision for NBC4 and Telemundo 52.
The medical examiner also listed other significant conditions that may have contributed to Moreno’s death, including “thermal injuries and inhalation of products of combustion.”
Eliana Moreno / Facebook
Marciniw’s cause of death has not yet been made public.
The chopper crash also killed 29-year-old Edy Gutierrez Mejia, who was on the ground when the helicopter crashed. His cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
The cause of the helicopter crash itself remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.
“Since she was 11 years old, Eliana dreamed of becoming a news reporter. Through hard work and courage, she turned that dream into a reality,” her family wrote in a statement posted by her brother Johan Moreno last week on X.
“We find comfort in knowing that Eliana left this world doing the very thing she loved, pursuing the passion she carried with her since she was a little girl,” they added.
“We are infinitely proud of her and feel incredibly blessed to have had the privilege of loving her and calling her ours,” the family added.
