9 Hurt in Crash on Reagan Freeway

Nine people were injured Wednesday in a two-vehicle collision that snarled the morning commute for motorists on the Ronald Reagan Freeway, authorities said.

All nine were taken to area hospitals, where they were treated for injuries ranging from minor to serious, Officer Leland Tang, a California Highway Patrol spokesman, said.

Both vehicles were westbound on the freeway near De Soto Avenue at 9 a.m. when the driver of a small school bus suddenly braked, Tang said.

The bus veered sharply to the right before spinning to the left, slamming into the driver’s side of a Toyota minivan, he said.

The bus driver, Jose E. Umana, 37, of Pacoima, suffered minor injuries and was taken to West Hills Medical Center, Tang said.

The seven passengers on the bus were treated at West Hills or Simi Valley Hospital, he said.

The bus was registered to Victory Outreach, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program in North Hollywood, Tang said.

The driver of the minivan, Maria Barajas, 28, of Sylmar suffered minor injuries and was taken to Simi Valley Hospital, Tang said.