RTD Bus Stops Too Close to Train; 15 Passengers Injured

At least 15 people were slightly injured this morning when a slow-moving Southern Pacific train clipped the front of a Rapid Transit District bus that was stopped too close to the track at a crossing near Long Beach Boulevard and Ardmore Avenue in South Gate just before 9 a.m.

All of the injured passengers were taken to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, where they were expected to be treated and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The driver of the bus, which was northbound on Long Beach Boulevard, suffered only minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital, said Jim Smart, RTD spokesman.

The driver, who was not identified, failed to stop for a flashing red light at the crossing and the bus “was hit a glancing blow on the right front corner” by a four-car westbound train traveling about 10 m.p.h., said Jim Loveland, spokesman for the railroad.

There was no barrier at the crossing. The accident is under investigation.