Driver of Bus That Killed Teacher Left Engine Running

The driver of a bus that crushed a teacher during a Los Angeles Zoo outing admitted that he left the vehicle’s engine running, but insisted Tuesday that he set the emergency brake before getting out.

Sergio Blanco said he also forgot to turn the wheels to the curb, but does remember setting the brake when he left the bus to help load the cargo bay.

Blanco said he was standing beside the 18-ton bus when it lurched down a shallow grade and rolled over Jardin de los Ninos teacher Sara Quezada, 51, and a 3-year-old boy. He was testifying in the wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Quezada’s family.

Most of the 25-year-old driver’s statements were brief as plaintiff’s attorney Browne Greene led him through the June 24, 1994, incident.

Blanco said he went after the runaway bus, got in, put on the brakes and headed to a nearby ranger’s office. He said that when he came back, the police had arrived.

Defense attorneys plan to question Blanco later in the week when they present their case.

Earlier Tuesday, Superior Court Commissioner Emilie Elias ruled that the boy who was trapped under Quezada is too young to testify. The boy, now 5, suffered a broken pelvis in the accident. He has been in court for parts of the trial.