30 Hurt in Downtown Bus Crash
Thirty people were injured when a car broadsided an RTD bus in a downtown Los Angeles intersection today, forcing the bus into the side of a Skid Row mission, authorities said.
Witnesses said a Cadillac, traveling “at a rather high rate of speed,” struck the bus during the noon hour as it was crossing the intersection of Fifth and Towne streets.
To avoid colliding with other cars, the bus careened into the wall of the American Soul Clinic Mission, breaking the building’s plate glass windows.
Bus Driver Praised
“I have to tip my hat to the bus driver,” said Los Angeles Police Capt. Ernest Curtsinger. “He probably decided to avoid hitting people and used the sidewalk instead--the path of least resistance.”
The names of the bus driver and the driver of the car were not immediately available, and none of the injured have been identified.
Injured passengers were taken to five area hospitals, and four persons, including the car’s driver, were said to have suffered serious injuries.
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