7 Injured in Crash of Bus, Van, Car

Seven people, including four bus passengers and the driver of an Orange County Transit District bus, were injured Friday in a three-vehicle crash in Fullerton, authorities said.

The OCTD driver, Sherrie Matteson, 31, of El Monte, was not to blame for the collision, said Jim Keffer, the Fullerton police officer investigating the accident.

Most seriously injured in the 1:30 p.m. crash were the driver and passenger of a van, which struck the front of the bus, Keffer said.

The crash occurred in the 2200 block of Chapman Avenue when the eastbound driver of an Oldsmobile made a left turn in the middle of the street and collided with the van, which was traveling in the opposite direction, Keffer said. He said the van spun out of control and crossed the center of the street, striking the front of the eastbound bus.

Police said that the Oldsmobile, driven by Helen Lancaster, 31, of Yorba Linda, came to a stop across the street, on the front lawn of a school. Lancaster was not injured or cited.

The van driver, Ismael Medina Salas, 29, of Lynwood, suffered a serious hairline laceration, Keffer said. His passenger, Ignacio Soto Salcedo, 23, of Huntington Park, suffered facial cuts. Both men were listed in satisfactory condition at St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton. Four bus passengers and the driver had minor injuries.