Bicyclist, 12, Injured When Hit by School Bus

A 12-year-old boy suffered a leg injury Friday morning when he was struck by a school bus as he bicycled to Lawrence Middle School.

California Highway Patrol officials said the boy--Jonathson Hong of Chatsworth--was bicycling on the wrong side of Devonshire Street when he was struck as the bus made a turn. The bus driver was not at fault, said CHP Officer Darren Sanchez.

Jonathson was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center in Westwood where he was in fair condition, according a hospital spokeswoman. She said the boy was scheduled to undergo plastic surgery on Friday.

Jonathson was struck by the left front fender of the eastbound bus on Devonshire as it turned south on De Soto Avenue, according to Los Angeles Unified School District spokesman Shel Erlich.

He was riding his bike westbound against traffic and across the Devonshire and De Soto intersection at about 7:30 a.m. A California Highway Patrol officer said the boy was wearing a helmet.

Erlich said the bus was owned and operated by a contract firm, Atlantic Express. It was en route to Andasol Avenue Elementary School at the time of the accident and had one student on board.