1 dead, 1 injured after bus hits pedestrians in Redondo Beach

A bus struck two pedestrians Wednesday evening in Redondo Beach, killing a man and sending a woman to the hospital with serious injuries, police said.

The two people were walking north in a crosswalk at Catalina Avenue and Avenue I in the Riviera Village shopping district when they were struck at about 6:15 p.m., the Redondo Beach Police Department said.

The bus struck the pedestrians as it was making a left turn onto Avenue I, less than two miles from the scene of another deadly vehicle-pedestrian collision in December.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman, who is believed to be in her 70s, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, police said, but was conscious.

Witnesses described the man and woman as elderly, police said. It was not immediately clear if they are related. No injuries to bus passengers were reported.

The intersection, which is a four-way stop, has been closed as police investigate. A fence surrounded the front end of the commuter bus, which was wrapped with a blue tarp.

A witness nearby said he left a barber shop down the block to see what was happening. “I heard screaming,” said Robert Vasquez, 30, who said he saw passengers getting off and inspecting the underside of the bus.

Aaron Tamayo, 25, says he was standing about 50 feet away and saw firefighters pull out the woman from under the bus. There was dirt and blood in her hair, he said.

In a statement, LADOT said it “deeply regrets the traffic collision” and plans to provide footage from the bus’ dashboard camera to assist in the investigation.

“The driver has been sequestered by the Redondo Beach Police Department and a full investigation is underway,” the agency said.

In a statement, police said they haven’t determined the cause of the collision, but they don’t believe alcohol or drugs are a factor.

On Dec. 17, four people -- including a 6-year-old boy -- were killed outside a Redondo Beach Catholic church after a suspected DUI driver rammed into a group of people leaving a Christmas concert.

That driver, Margo Bronstein, 56, of Redondo Beach, was charged with four felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and one felony count of being under the influence of a drug, causing injuries.

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Times staff writer Ryan Parker contributed to this report.